The Top Five Jake Gyllenhaal Movies

For the Hollywood box office, Jake Gyllenhaal is the reigning Prince of Persia! Not even 30 years old, Gyllenhaal has made a name for himself as the "real deal." His deeply expressive eyes and boyish good looks may make his fans swoon, but Gyllenhaal is truly one of Hollywood's best talents. Even in his short career, this rugged thespian has stared in more than 24 films. Here is this viewers list of his top five best films:

1. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Brokeback Mountain took the world by storm. The life of cowboys took on an entirely new meaning when Ledger and Gyllenhaal took on the roles of Ennis and Jack. Ang Lee created a simple, but powerful film and Gyllenhaal played his tragically heartbroken cowboy in a manner that rivals the depth of Deniro, Pacino and Cheadle. For his efforts, Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Oscar and won BAFTA's Best Supporting Actor Award.

2. Donnie Darko (2001)

Richard Kelly's DONNIE DARKO was one of Gyllenhaal's stand out roles. As the title character, Gyllenhall portrays Donnie, a young likeable, but mental disturbed teen. The tale has many symbolic twists, which are hallucinations and hints about time travel. Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Donnie is as charming as is the ultimate plot twist at the end of the film. Young Jake was nominated for and won one award for his work in this dark comedy/fantasy film. It was truly deserved.

3. October Sky (1999)

Based on the Homer Hickam, Jr.'s autobiography "Rocket Boys," October Sky is a wonderful coming of age film set in 1957. Gyllenhaal plays Hickam as a young man, who wants to escape the small mining town. His hopes are in the stars. The film is well acted and Gyllenhaal makes your heart ache as he struggles for his father's approval at the same time he passionately fights against the odds to win the national science fair. This film is timeless and as relevant to those souls that look to the stars for guidance.

4. Brothers (2009)

In this family drama, Gyllenhaal played Tommy Cahill, an ex-con who presumes his brother is dead and who falls in love with his brother's wife. With Natalie Portman and Tobey Macquire, who are talents in their own right, Gyllenhaal makes audiences believe the intensity of his feelings and his conflict. For this film, Gyllenhaal received praise from critics, but little box office success.

5. Zodiac (2007)

Based on Robert Graysmith's book, Zodiac chronicles the police investigation of the Zodiac serial killer. Gyllenhaal plays cartoonist turned investigator Graysmith and does it with great balance. He transforms from mild mannered to obsessive so convincingly that he is at times becomes more intriguing than other distinguishable members of the cast, including Robert Downey, Jr. While not a fabulous movie, Gyllenhaal makes it very watchable.

While Jake Gyllenhaal's name may be difficult to pronounce, his talent is not hard to miss. Many of his other works, such as The Good Girl and Lovely and Amazing, deserve honorable mentions. He has an interesting and at times risky body of work and through it shines as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. From his recent portrayal of Prince Dastan in the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to his past comedic romp as Bubble Boy, he will continue to be an A-lister.