The man crush; there once was a time where any right thinking man would keep his mouth shut about any great admiration borderline attraction he may have towards another guy, but those days are gone my friends. These days many movie-going men will freely admit to wanting to see a film based partly (we’ll still try to play it down a bit) on the men in the film. Tastes may change from man to man, but here they are, our main males for Man Crush Monday.

Ryan Gosling

I think that we might be on the tail end of the Gosling wave, which is unfortunate, because soon men like me won’t be able to watch some edgy, arty film with females less inclined to watch such films, simply because it has Gosling in it.

“Hey, does anyone want to watch a really depressing movie about the demise of a couples once passionate relationship as they both descend into the agony of married life?”

No thanks!

“It has Ryan Gosling in it…”

Ok!* 

Plus you could shred cheese on that stomach.

*Please don’t think this is a generalisation, this has only happened to me twice.

Emile Hirsch

Ok so maybe the whole Emile Hirsch crush was sold mainly due to Into the Wild and his depiction of the free spirited and ultimately doomed Chris McCandles, but it and he sticks with you. So many shots of him wind flowing through his luscious locks, taking in the natural beauty and wonder of the natural world whilst writing in a journal…sigh… And look seeing him in hot pants in Milk may have dented this vision and as amusing as he was in Prince Avalanche he was a little pudgy for my liking, but I still loves ya Emile.

James Franco

Not as handsome as some people would try and have you believe but Franco has the mind and personality to make up for it. He’s always trying to make a film based on the life or works of a dead/gay/poet or something. And if he’s not doing that he’s writing his own novel and adapting it into a film in which he’ll probably play the most loathsome character. I love Freaks and Geeks Franco. I love Pineapple Express Franco. To the ham that rocked up on the Spiderman set pretending to be James Franco, well not so much. I’d even take 127 Hours Franco over that Franco. Even one armed I’d still like him; it’d probably make him even more endearing.

Kevin Costner

Ok hear me out….. Actually I have no real explanation for this one, I just keep returning to Costner films no matter how hard I try not to (I don’t try that hard). Growing up I wanted to be cheeky and brave and not be able to imitate an English accent like him in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I wanted to be self-righteous and quotable like Jim Garrison in JFK. I wanted to dance with wolves and have a rad moustache like in that other film. Again not sure the depths to which this crush goes, but it is there; and its alarmingly real.

Heath Ledger

R.I.P Heath. Sure he had the brash good looks going for him and started out being marketable for that reason alone, but gosh he made a fist of it. His untimely death would nay have gotten in the way of him getting an Oscar nod for his turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight. No. Bloody. Way. And despite not liking singlet’s one little bit I could watch Two Hands all day just to watch him and Rose Byrne being so damn attractive in it. We all love him in 10 Things I Hate About You, men and women alike. You can tell watching it too that Julia Stiles knew it was never going to get any better than that on set for her either (sorry Julia).

Mark Ruffalo

For me, you just can’t beat the Ruffs. He might not be a spring chicken on the scene anymore, and he might not have the rippling body or the classic good looks but by god that smile, and that voice. Recently he spoke about how he hopes he can send an eco friendly message if there was a standalone Hulk film. I have no idea how that would work but THE MAN CARES ABOUT NATURE DAMMIT.

He has made several terrible romantic comedies somehow bearable simply through his presence. I voluntarily watched that one about him and Pink and those other guys in sex addiction therapy just because of him. No other male actor could do that, that’s how good you are Ruffs. Also he can pull off cargo pants. I have no idea how.

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