A year of Robert Downey

This is (or will be) the year of Robert Downey Jr., and it's about time we had one of those, right? He is the sole reason I will rush to see Iron Man, which I hope is a big fat hit for him; his Iron Man character also makes an appearance in the Ed Norton Hulk sequel. He will play a homeless musician in Joe Wright's next movie, due out in November (hello, Oscar). And, most intriguingly, he plays a respected actor playing a black man in Ben Stiller's industry farce, Tropic Thunder. The trailer is delectable.

(Tom Cruise apparently has a cameo as a crazy studio executive, which is perfect, and the exact kind of role he needs at this point to start straining the radiation from the toxic fields of his career.)

Anyway...Robert Downey! We were reminded of his life force when Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang came out (you saw it, right? Why not? Asshole).

He's a natural onscreen, and I hope he continues to steadily work. We shouldn't expect any less -- the man steadily worked even while he battled a massive drug problem. I could go on and on about him, but there are things to do. I leave you with my first introduction to him: the charming, funny Heart and Souls, when he was a lad of 28.

On Kyra Sedgwick

I've always had such affection for Kyra Sedgwick, so it was delightful to see her in the spotlight last night at the Golden Globes. (The poor gal's never won anything, and even though she's a steadily working actress with a healthy TV show and superstar husband -- of 19 years! -- she's rarely the center of attention.) My affection is rooted in Heart & Souls, in which Sedgwick plays a waitress who dies right after her heart's been crushed but is given one last chance, as a ghost, to make some things right. Sounds maudlin, but the movie has a sincere pulse and Sedgwick is, well, its heart and soul. It's something about her raspy voice and how it takes to Southern accents, and her slightly platypusian mouth and her bottomless-cuppa-coffee eyes. She looks and moves like cotton but can quickly flick a steely gaze or assert an iron will. She's won me over in other movies, but I always come back to Heart & Souls. And pairing her with Alfre Woodward just sweetens the pot.