Is America ready for Gael Garcia Bernal?

If the true mark of a rising star is a preponderance of gossip, then Bernal is also coming into his own. Tabloids, entertainment television networks, blogs and fan forums have buzzed, though not yet with the intensity reserved for the likes of Brangelina, with speculation on his love life.  Is he back together with ex-girlfriend Natalie Portman?  Or perhaps Argentinean star Dolores Fonzi?  He’s also previously been linked with actresses Keira Knightley and Kate Bosworth.

Many foreign actors have crossed borders and earned success in American film. Salma Hayek, also from Mexico, began her career in a similar way to Bernal’s, acting in Mexican soap operas. She broke out alongside another successful import — Antonio Banderas — in 1995’s “Desperado.”  Penelope Cruz also made the journey, revisiting her role in the Spanish film “Abre Los Ojos” in the American remake, “Vanilla Sky.” Audrey Tatou of France’s “Amelie” took her turn in “Da Vinci Code,” though the reviews were mixed. For all, the key to success was picking the right project. Bernal seems to have learned this lesson well. After “Sleep,” he reteams with “Amores Perros” director, Alejandro González Iñárritu in “Babel” — also starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.  With the much anticipated “Babel,” coming out on the heels of the smaller, quirkier “Sleep,” Bernal stands to gain maximum exposure of the best kind.

The beauty, the mystery, the wonder of Gael García Bernal is simple:  He can make us feel a little dirty in films that make us more than a little uncomfortable.  Sometimes, as in “The Science of Sleep” he can even make us wonder if our drink was spiked. As an actor’s actor and one with enough talent to breathe  life into a revenge-seeking transvestite, an over-testosteroned teenager on a NC-17 road trip, a nascent revolutionary, and a waking dreamer, he’s set to take over America — on his own terms.

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