"Southpaw" - Trailer

This is why Jake Gyllenhaal is gaining so much popularity right now; he started picking better movies and projects to participate in. I don't usually watch dramas, but this movie looks wildly intense and centered mostly around his boxing career. Apparently "50 Cent" is going to be in the movie, which takes a little credibility away from the film. These are the type of movies Gyllenhaal seems to prefer, he's always playing dramatic roles and that's why he is so successful.

He has come a long way since "Donnie Darko" back in 2001, but he still has that same ability to bring that specific level of intensity to any role he plays. For example, "Zodiac" was a very intense movie, but it's only Gyllenhaal's performance in that film that made it so intense. Released in 2007; "Zodiac" was an otherwise, boring movie and a box office flop. Not ALL of his movies are good... there were some misfires along the way, including "Bubble Boy" in 2001, which is a horrendous piece of garbage. Then he was a gay cowboy in "Broke Back Mountain" in 2005, and he starred in the awful, big-budget movie, "The Day After Tomorrow" in 2004.

In fact, the only good movie Jake Gyllenhaal released between 2004 and 2010 was "Jarhead". He did a great job playing the part of an army soldier during the war and the movie received many accolades. Besides that, he starred in several indie drama films and  he actually got back into theater during that time period. Now that he is getting older, he is eligible for older roles and much bigger / better movies. For instance, he starred in "Source Code" in 2011 and "End of Watch" in 2012. Both are gut-wrenching, dramatic action movies, and have earned Gyllenhaal Academy Award nominations.

In 2014, Jake starred in the thriller, "Nightcrawler", which is arguably his best movie. He's nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his amazing performance in that film, bringing this charming, sociopathic character to life. This new movie, "Southpaw" could very well be his best performance, we'll have to wait until it's released om July 24, 2015. I look forward to seeing Gyllenhaal in this movie, and more big productions in the future.