Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Hump Day Hottie: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Whilst ordering the Boyfriend around this morning he mentioned to me that it was Administrative Assistants Day and I should pay him for his efforts...or at least send flowers. Never mind all that, I said, (i must be a joy to live with!) for my mind had already drifted from administrative assistants to Secretary to the perfect choice for today's Hump Day Hottie Maggie Gyllenhaal, and I suddenly had a blog post to write. (That's when I came across this bizarre picture to your left which I had to use)

I don't really recommend ignoring your boyfriend secretary / assistant to daydream about movies. And if you're at work it's particular unwise to dream about Maggie's secretary. Please don't chain your admin to their desk or make them fetch your mail with their teeth. Can you say lawsuit?

I really don't get all that S&M stuff (so, no, Secretary is not my fav Maggie film by a longshot). My knowledge of S&M is about on par with Judy Bernly's:
And if I want to have an affair,
or play sex games, or do M&M's, you can't stop me!
Speaking of indelible moments with Jane Fonda. I think Maggie is molten lava hot in a very specific early 70s Fonda 'don't f*** with me' way --particularly in movies like Sherrybaby and Stranger Than Fiction. So her submissive Secretary part isn't the turn-on. But she's a fine actress and getting finer all the time. And I don't mean to suggest that her charisma is limited to the more intimidating roles. There is a sweetness to her that peaks out to soften those edges at perfectly chosen moments. Plus there's the entourage adding luster: talented parents, superstar brother, new baby girl and Peter Sarsgaard (and they are adorable together).

I recently reread my 2005 actress of the aughts list which is now a year and a half old. It was intended as a halfway bookmark of sort for the 'best of decade' lists. Since it's tabulation, Maggie is the actress that's made the most enormous leaps and bounds forward. If she keeps this up she could be shaking up the top ten ranks when the decade closes. So here's to Maggie.


Back to Secretary to wrap this up and bring it back to me (me! me! me! god, I'm insufferable today. My apologies). Lesley Ann Warren co-stars as Maggie's mom in that provocative movie. Warren was a fixture of my training wheels stage in movie fanaticism (circa 1982-1985) and she's a special guest of the Indianapolis International Film Festival this weekend which I told you I'm doing jury duty for. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get the chance to meet her at the gala to thank her for Clue, Choose Me and Victor/Victoria in particular. If that happens, I'll share the moment with you right here.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Nat

Do you think Nicole will still be number one in your actress of Auguht list?

Jason Adams said...

Oh Maggie. As much as I love Jake, Maggie really has garnered her own enormous wealth of affection from me outside of just being "Jake's sister." She wows me more with each movie I see her in. Great great things ahead for her, I think.

Anonymous said...

I love her!

Unjustly passed over for Oscar nominations in both Secretary and Happy Endings.

Also, I just saw Monster House, and how great is the babysitter. I love how she's so Maggie. Besides the voice, even.

Anonymous said...

I always thought that Kate Winslet is the new Jane Fonda, in a British way. Winslet is way too intimidating. Rebel, bohemian. Anyway, good call on Gyllenhaal.

- cal roth

Marius said...

Yes, I love, love, love Maggie. She's a sweetheart and a very good actor.

adam k. said...

She has indeed done a lot since fall of '05.

But I hope MERYL STREEP has also been climbing in the ranks. #23!?!? Ridiculous. With Prairie, Prada and Prime behind her, she deserves top ten status. Judging by all she has coming up, she could even be back at #1 by the end of the decade.

Deborah said...

She's pretty amazing. I saw Stranger Than Fiction and Sherrybaby in the past 2 weeks or so, and man. Amazing.

Anonymous said...

I think Meryl, Kate, Maggie and LaPfeiffer will all climb up some ranks by the end of the decade. And so I think ScarJo and Julianne are stepping out the top 10

Glenn Dunks said...

We never know who's going to have a big next few years and who won't. Crazy that this decade is nearly 3/4 over with.

Anyway. Maggie. Oh, Maggie. I love her substantially more than Jake. I love Jake in at least two roles and think he's totally sexy and drool-worthy, but Maggie has something that just screams ALL TIME. Like she's gonna be around for ages. Her best role, I think was Happy Endings. SO good. The revelation scene towards the end was so marvellously played.

NATHANIEL R said...

adam k --i stand by the #23 rank for Streep (at the time of that writing) but of course the past year and a half have been amazing so yes... she goes way up. the number is now wrong.

(ftr she was my #1 for the 80s --yes, i've done this my whole life. Only back then it was in a scrapbook with magazine clippings and hilarious scribblings of how awesome everyone was. hee --and my #19 actress of the 90s)

anonymous --i hope too that LaPfeiffer climbs but you never know with her. These three movies in one summer might be the end again for another 5 years.

adam k. said...

Well Streep was everyone's #1 of the 80's... I'm glad you agree ; )

It is difficult to tell how the decade will end, but the only one who looks invincible in terms of output in Streep - LOTS of great roles in the next three years. Moore also looks like she may close out the decade well... but judging from recent experience, you never know how good (or not) her movies will actually be.

Anonymous said...

Saw Stranger than Fiction the other week and I thought Maggie was the heart and soul of the movie, she was terrific. Nice to see Linda Hunt (of today's 20:07) in there too, if only for 1 scene.

Glenn Dunks said...

Well, to be honest, Nicole does have Margot at the Wedding, looks to be villainous gold in Golden Compass and has Australia in 08, plus who knows what else. Although if she gets preggers then she'll take time off I suppose.

Did you know she was making a movie with Naomi Watts called Need? OMG *explodes*

NATHANIEL R said...

anonymous --re: Kidman, impossible to tell. depends on if the rematch with Luhrmann yields something extraordinary again i suppose.

ja-- agreed.

steve --i wouldn't have nominated her for Secretary. but yeah, the snub of Happy Endings is terrible. and not just for Oscar but for IN GENERAL. I'm proud to have been one of the rare award givers but I l-o-v-e that performance.

cal --really? Kate as Jane? Hmmmm