Have you seen this guys roles? They aren't exactly flashy, they always creep up on you. It is like he is playing every gesture of a character but also creating a whole picture. He knows when to turn on the soul and how to make mundane moments fascinating.

I only realized this after I saw ALL GOOD THINGS. The movie itself was kind of crap but after it was over I realized how ridiculous RG was in it.

Half Nelson and Blue Valentine were similarly great... I always dismiss him because he has such a d-bag, stuck up manner... but then he wins me back every movie.

The down side is he could be a 'selfish' actor, making all his movies about his own performance, subtly stealing it away. A subtle way of being 'over the top'. but that is the sort of hunger that makes great art.

I hear that, he was an acting genius in Young hercules

I had to google who he was. I thought you were talking about the guy with the 8 kids at first.

I'm trying to think of a better actor aged 30 or younger than Gosling, but I can't think of any.

(Yes, I would rank him above Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jesse Eisenberg.)

Having just re-read James Sallis' "Drive," Gosling will probably own that role. And him being in the company of Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone in "Crazy, Stupid, Love." will definitely open some new doors for him, in terms of being able to mix swagger with comedy.

Plus his upcoming projects are pretty loaded as well. It seems that if Drive is the success I think it will be, his upcoming collaborations with Nicolas Winding Refn (Logan's Run, Only God Forgives) is likely be akin to the director-actor relationship that Scorsese has with the likes of Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

From there you have The Gangster Squad with an impressive ensemble (Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, et al.), a starring role in George Clooney's The Ides of March, and another collaboration with Blue Valentine director, Derek Cianfrance, on The Place Beyond the Pines.

A very full dance card, to say the least.

Yeah I like him a lot. I think Lars and the Real Girl may be his best performance.

No shit. Eisenberg doesn't even make my top 10. Here's his entire career:
bland, bland, bland, bland, bland, passable, bland, bland, solid

Indeed. Wonderful little film.

I agree mostly. But I would take out passable and solid

I think Gosling is an outstanding actor. One of our finest working actors today, IMO.

Lars, Blue Valentine, Half Nelson, All Good Things etc.

Heh, every time I see him in anything, I automatically think of him as Young Hercules. Is that wrong?

I am more impressed by Ben Foster.

He's awesome. I've really liked him since The Believer and The Slaughter Rule. He's always great and typically the best thing about a bad movie - see Murder by Numbers and Fracture.

Actually the role where I was least impressed with him is probably what most people associate with him right now: Blue Valentine. I think he overdoes it in the present days scenes of the film and his tics are just too over the top.

After seeing a movie with Ben Foster in it I usually think that he was one of if not the best part. Dude is great.

better.

uh....they're both in their 30s.

Hardy is 33
Fassbender is 34

close but no cigar.

yeah and Gosling is almost 31, whats your point. They're very close in age.

Gosling is fantastic.

I liked 'Fracture' too. He really made that film with his performance.

I used to get him and Ben Foster confused, but after I saw a couple of their movies it was pretty easy to tell them apart, Ben Foster annoys the living hell out of me, Gosling is a pretty awesome actor.

Gosling has had it made since he was on MMC and lived with Justin Timberlake. He definitely has the acting ability to keep it going.

Absolutely. It's a terrific thriller but he absolutely shined the most in it.

Re: Ben Foster. I think I said this about him in another discussion. But I'm hot and cold with him. His most annoying role and performance thus far was his character in "Six Feet Under".

they're older than Gosling...Drexl was talking about 30 or younger.

And Tom Hardy isn't a better actor than Gosling, and as much as I like Fassbender, neither is he.

I agree with this.

Ryan Gosling is the real deal, I still think about him in Half Nelson all the time and I saw it 4 years ago.

'Half Nelson' is brilliant.

What cast of real talent too: Ryan, Anthony Mackie, Shareeka Epps, and they were all in top form.

I was watching All Good Things the other day. Not the best movie, but I'll be damned if Gosling doesn't do his best with the material.