Man of the Month: Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal.

The name's Darko. Donnie Darko. The 2001 cult classic about an introverted boy just on the surface of time traveling, and because he's just your average, restless, high school boy, 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds until the 'world will end' was in one ear and out the other. The Donnie Darko saga was first, a sleeper success, then picked up its pace as though its days were numbered. The $7M worldwide yet cult phenomenon has shown a dramatic turnover that all its simplicities and complexities were at a significant period of time obsessed by, including the hypnotic, seductive, devil horns-silhouette performance of 21-year old then Jake Gyllenhaal.

One could argue that's the beginning of the end of Gyllenhaal's grapple for future film roles; they were lined up for him because his momma had told him to strike when the iron's still hot. Yes, he was here, he was there, all but comme ci comme ça, until the world literally ended, as though Frank the Rabbit was off only by three years, in The Day After Tomorrow (2004). Remember? While the entire New York froze over by a hurricane-like super storm, Gyllenhaal and the gallantry of his character in the middle of it all is like a cone of soft serve ice cream coated in hot chocolate (he's the hot chocolate). A precocious college student whose innocent arrogance of not showing solutions on his math test because he did all the solving in his head, later frustrate us to learn the world is going to end, and this boy, confined mostly within the walls of a classroom, could possibly lack the skills to survive, but we're rooting for him because, besides being one of the lead, if you're going to be that boring and predictable, he must have learned a thing or two from his paleoclimatologist father (Dennis Quiad). Among other scenes we love of Gyllenhaal and about his character, the blanket scene warmed, even melted us at an otherwise freezing place.

"I'm using my body heat to warm you."

After which, Gyllenhaal has seen himself mounting on a high horse, literally too with the late Heath Ledger, for the Academy Award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (2006). Moved the world for its portrayal of masculine gay romance, two cowboys, minimal, powerful - as opposed to gratuitous - sex scenes, not only supporting gay rights, but most pivotal, toning down the loudness of the stereotype.

"I wish I knew how to quit you."

Zodiac (2007), Rendition (2007), Brothers (2009), Source Code (2012) - it's like looking at a resume and seeing solid work experience. And only recently, the dangerously dedicated 30-pound weight loss to a weighted performance and consuming story of Dan Gilroy in Nightcrawler (2014). It was a performance so palpably riveting, Gyllenhaal's disappearance at the 2015 Academy Awards, while kudos to Eddie Redmayne of The Theory of Everything, had made Russovoir want to punch someone. But he's not into violence, so we're just going to let that slide, and cross our fingers for Southpaw.

Russovoir gives credit to where it is due. One of which, one especially gives batting of the eyes of disbelief and awe, is the (drastic) physical immersion for the role. Russovoir believes that when an actor goes out of their comfort zone to satisfy the existent or nonexistent caveat of a role, losing weight, gaining weight, mimicry of accent, gait, overall attitudes and eccentricities, besides classified as method acting, it is the single, solid proof of effective acting. Gyllenhaal isn't the only one; there are obviously many, and they have been duly celebrated: Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Eddie Redmayne, Meryl Streep (Iron Lady, 2011), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables, 2012), to name a few.

Southpaw draws our attention to the bone because it seems only recently Nightcrawler came out, and he was scraped off of fat. Six months later, we see this ripped and resilient Gyllenhaal in a boxing ring, rambunctious, rancorous, radiant. This shouldn't surprise Russovoir anymore, as there is already a method to the madness, but it always does; it makes Russovoir happy that amid the reboots, remakes, sequels, and for a lack of a better word, gross films this year, there is/are film(s) that stand(s) out, keeping the film industry almost, again, sidereal: even stars have to burn to shine.

Russovoir is as excited as the next person for the storyline of Southpaw; it looks bad ass. While Christian Bale balled our eyes in The Fighter (2010). But to be completely honest, Russovoir just wants to see Gyllenhaal on the screen again, this time, 'put together' - little less Prince of Persia (2010), little more End of Watch (2012).

Southpaw, July 24