A peek at JGL through the loop
Writer: Siti Munawirah Mustaffa
Teenage girls from the 90's were simply held in stitches by the sight of Tommy Solomon, the kooky extraterrestrial being of "3rd Rock From The Sun". The rest of us in this era, however, just want to keep him locked in our rooms upon seeing his Magic Mike striptease on Saturday Night Live that brought Channing Tatum to shame. Whether he was 13 or is 31, Joseph-Gordon Levitt is undeniably one of the sexiest men alive, and that, dear friends, has been proven from the moment he hit "Beethoven" till the day he became a "Looper".
As a self-confessed JGL's squealing, giggling and wide-eyed groupie, the writer proudly presents to you some of his most noted films that have brought the puppy-eyed heartthrob to where he is today. Now, can someone please lead those dull, self-conscious, muscle-obsessed jocks through the exit door? .
"3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996)
Way before TV was tainted by "Jersey Shore" and "Glee", "3rd Rock from the Sun" was one of the bits and pieces that helped to complete the 90's perfection. Only those who were born much earlier would understand why many of us could not stop reminiscing about the blissful past. Seeing teen-boy Gordon-Levitt after dinner in front of the TV is one of the reasons.
"Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)
No matter how good an actor is, there's always a moment where he stars in a crappy B graded film and Joe boy here is no exception. This film is not so much of a groundbreaker, but it serves to add up another of our "Looper" hero's trivia.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Again, why do most of us 80's babies refuse to move on? Watch this film and you'll get the picture. Also note how similar he looks now, to Heath Ledger back in the movie and you'll believe that they are true doppelgangers indeed! It's as if a part of Heath still remains in Hollywood through Gordon-Levitt.
"Mysterious Skin" (2004)
It's rather unfortunate to see a highly-praised film such as this being banned in many countries due to its depiction of pedophilia, child abuse and homosexuality. If you can find it, watch it because a story as sad and beautiful such as "Mysterious Skin" should never go to waste. You would be stunned upon seeing our lovable Joe transforms into a gay prostitute and child abuse victim, Neil.
"Brick" (2005)
High-school loners can never get more attractive as JGL played the role of Brendan who tries to solve the mystery of his ex-girlfriend's death. Since "Brick" is directed by the same guy who made "Looper", expect to find a lot of clever lines in this one too.
"(500) Days of Summer" (2009)
Honestly speaking, the writer finds this film to be a tad too 'hipster-ish' for her liking, but since sweet, hopeless romantic Tom is played by JGL, what's the harm of being swept away by the whole story? A slight warning though, viewers may develop a slight disliking to Zooey Deschanel who plays the female lead alongside our Joe.
"Hesher" (2010)
Metalheads might have seen or heard of "Hesher" as most tracks are used from bands such as Metallica and Motorhead. Looking like a much older version of Tommy Solomon, Gordon-Levitt sports the long 'do with tattoos that look like they're drawn by 5 year olds. Despite the wobbly story and the point of it being pointless, its refreshing dark humour has placed "Hesher" as one of the writer's favourites.
"Inception" (2010)
In the highly-acclaimed "Inception", JGL played Arthur, the no-nonsense, humourless business partner of Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb. With an outstanding performance in a film inspired by lucid dreams, one could not help but to envision him as the next leading man in Hollywood. He has certainly made at least one iconic scene for himself through this movie, particularly when he gets into a brawl with a baddie in the spinning hotel room corridor.
"50/50" (2011)
Perhaps Rian Johnson had spotted the young Bruce Willis when Gordon-Levitt's Adam Lerner shaved his head in "50/50" after getting diagnosed with cancer. It is a huge relief to know that the 50/50 chance of survival does not strike the 31-year-old actor in real life, as we sure could see more of him in Hollywood. Also, get those tissues prepped and ready for this somber story may thug your heartstrings quite a bit.
"The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)
"The Dark Knight Rises" may not have received the same amount of hype as "The Dark Knight" did, but it does have its own dynamism. Officer John Blake played by JGL is one of them. Even though his role is limited compared to Christian Bale (of course!), we sure can't deny that JGL made the movie more interesting indeed as he manages to draw just enough attention to his role that we're sure no other actor could've pulled off that well.
"Looper" (2012)
The self-absorbed, blunderbuss carrying, time traveling contract killer cum junkie who ages in the next 30 years to become Bruce Willis. Who can forget that? "Looper" is one of the films that marks some of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's best performances throughout his career and this story is just as twisted as "Inception" probably is, so pay attention not only to JGL, but also the flow of the plot!
Cinema Online, 03 October 2012