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When was the last time you were truly moved by the actor or actress in a movie?
I don't mean, "oh, great acting job", but I mean, shivers-down-your-spine good.
Truly feeling what the actor was portraying. It's been a while, hasn't it?
Few actors in today's movies can do that, but there is one actor whom I discovered a
few months ago who can. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Many of you have probably not heard
of him, but I bet you have all seen at least one of his movies. He was the young
actor on the TV show, 3rd Rock From The Sun, and he also starred as the lovable kid
who flapped his arms and believed in angels in the Disney movie, "Angels in the Outfield".
Who knew that a child of that caliber would ten years later become one of the best
young actors in Hollywood?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt started acting at a young age. His debut film was Robert
Redford's "A River Runs Through It" in which he received the Young Artist Award.
From there, he went on to act in other films such as "Halloween H20" and later
in a fun adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming Of The Shrew, "10 Things I Hate About You".
At this time I did not feel that Joseph was anything special. I didn't even know
his name. I thought of him as unoriginal. His big move to complex and challenging
projects was his role alongside the great Don Cheadle in "Manic". "Manic" premiered
at Sundance in 2001 and sent Joseph on a new journey, towards the art of acting.
His next major film was the controversial "Latter Days" about a Mormon missionary who
falls in love with a "party boy". The film wrestles with the issues that homosexuality
bring to faith, family, and the community. Joseph played a small role in this movie,
as one of the Mormon elders. Although the movie was not very popular, it was very
well done, and again, Joseph was a solid actor.
Gordon-Levitt starred in "Havoc" in 2005, in which, he played my favorite character.
Taking place in California, this is a story about rich suburban white kids who
want to know what being a true gangster is all about. Focused on
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two girls,(one being Anne Hathaway),
this movie showed the realism of the ghetto and street
life that high school suburban kids never seem to get. The movie was sub par,
but you couldn't help but like it, mostly due to the few times that Joseph Gordon-Levitt
showed up in the film. With his gangster talk, being the life of the party,
and smoking weed, Joseph was a hit.
Still, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had yet to stand out in a movie as I knew he truly
could. So, what did I do? I rented the Greg Araki film, "Mysterious Skin";
A risqué film that dealt with very powerful and depressing issues. Gordon-Levitt's
portrayal of a gay hustler showed the true essence of how amazing he really was
as an actor. He captured the character so perfectly and carried the film on his shoulders.
The story involves two kids: one (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who was molested by
his baseball coach, and another (Brady Corbet), who is convinced that aliens
had abducted him as a child. Akari follows these two boys on their journey throughout
the movie, searching for the answers to their past. In the end, the two boy's stories
collide, and leaves you with one of the most breath taking endings I have ever seen.
This had to be the most graphic and disturbing movie I have ever sat through
(sometimes discomforting to watch), but Joseph Gordon-Levitt held my attention to
the end. Joseph showed his pain, his joy, and his confusion so well that I could feel
it too. Never in my life have I ever been touched so much by an actor. He was the
film, from beginning to end.
I had almost forgotten what it was like to be captivated by an actor. Not
since pictures like "Scarface" or "Taxi Driver" has an actor owned an entire movie.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt brought that possibility back into modern film with
"Mysterious Skin". He has skill, a natural talent - a talent that should be shared
with to the world. Keep your eyes open and you may catch a glimpse of the most
promising new talent in film today. I guarantee you will not be disappointed by
the guy behind the skin.
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