At age 31, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has already proven he can pretty much do everything, from action

At age 31, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has already proven he can pretty much do everything, from action blockbusters and crowd-pleasing romantic comedies to quirky indies and small, searing dramas. With the time-travel drama “Looper” opening last weekend, here’s a look at his best performances:

v “50/50” (2011): Gordon-Levitt was in such a tough spot here. It’s a comedy ... about cancer. But as the young man who receives the diagnosis that he only has a 50 per- cent chance of surviving, Gordon-Levitt never creates a mawkish portrait of martyrdom.

v “(500) Days of Summer” (2009): At the other end of the spectrum from “50/50” is a performance that’s bursting with joy at the center of Marc Webb’s sweet, clever film. Gordon-Levitt’s character recalls the blissful, all-consuming romance he shared with the seemingly perfect girl, Summer (Zooey Deschanel).

v “Brick” (2006): In this stylish film noir set in a contemporary Southern California high school, Gordon-Levitt plays a teenage sleuth digging for the dangerous truth about the murder of the pretty classmate he loved.

v “The Lookout” (2007): Gordon- Levitt stars as a once-promising high school athlete who suffers a head injury in a serious car crash that leaves him with short-term memory loss. Several years later, he makes some dangerous new friends who eventually ask him to help them rob the bank where he works.

v “Mysterious Skin” (2005): Gordon-Levitt co-stars as a small-town teenage hustler named Neil: a young man whose repeated molestation at the hands of his Little League coach set him on a wayward path of danger and self-destruction.

“30 for 30” (5 p.m., Espn): The award-winning sports documentary series returns with a new film called “Broke.” It’s a fascinating examination of pro athletes who have squandered their fortunes because of bad investments, frivolous spending and other factors.

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Pianist to lead concert at YSU

youngstown

The Dana School of Music will present a free recital by saxophonist Jeffrey Loeffert and pianist Jun Okada at 8 p.m. Thursday in Bliss Hall, Wick Avenue, on the Youngstown State University campus. Selections will include pieces by contemporary composers Pierre-Philippe Bauzin, Benjamin Fuhrman and Henri Tomasi.

For information, call 330-941-3636.

Museum mounts balloon exhibit

CLEVELAND

The usually straight-laced Cleveland Museum of Art is showing off another side of its collection. A new exhibit open through Nov. 25 is called “Work Number 965: Half the air in a given space.” It involves a half room full of inflated 11-inch purple balloons, with museum visitors allowed to walk through.

Martin Creed created it in 1998 with white balloons and moved to other colors. It’s now in the collection of the Cleveland museum. It’s displayed in a gallery enclosed in glass on three sides that for the past four years displayed sculptures by Auguste Rodin.