Nightcrawler
3.5/4
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton
Rated R for Violence including Graphic Images, and for Language
Sorry comic book nerds, this isn't a film version of the "X-Men" character (thank God...). Instead, it's about an odd duck who finds a niche, and will do anything to rise to the top.
Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a strange young man living in Los Angeles. Blessed with extremely limited social skills, he uses petty crime to get by. Then he sees an accident on the freeway where two police officers are pulling a woman from a flaming car. Also on the scene is Joe Loder (Paxton), a "nightcrawler." A nightcrawler is a someone who records footage of crime scenes (the more carnage the better, and preferably without police interference) and sells them to news stations. Lou thinks that this would be an easy way to make a quick buck, and decides to do it himself. He turns out to be very good at it, which earns him the admiration of Nina Romina (Russo), who runs a low-rated news station. But Lou is ambitious, and he'll do anything to get to the top.
"Nightcrawler" is part character-study and part-thriller. Lou is a fascinating character with an interesting way of looking at the world. He is not a normal individual; he views himself as a CEO of a major company (complete with all the mantras) despite the fact that he's barely able to make ends meet and has only one assistant (a guy named Rick, played by up-and-coming British actor Riz Ahmed) under him. He's socially awkward with borderline-autistic personality traits. He's also very ambitious and highly intelligent. Not even I was prepared for some of the things that he does.
The cornerstone of the film is Jake Gyllenhaal. The young actor has made a name for himself playing darker characters ("Donnie Darko" being a prime example), although he is more than capable of handling lighter material like "October Sky." Lou Bloom is easily the most twisted character Gyllenhaal has ever played. Having dropped 20 pounds for the role, the athletic looking Gyllenhaal looks emaciated (not to the extent that Christian Bale did in "The Machinist" though). and his striking eyes are hollowed out. Director Dan Gilroy highlights this and photographs them in such a way that Lou seems more unhinged than he already is. While it's too early to tell if Gyllenhaal will get an Oscar nomination, it's definitely a possibility.
He's surrounded by an able supporting cast. Rene Russo was once one of the premiere leading ladies in Hollywood, but has laid low over the past 10 years (the only films she appeared in were "Thor" and its sequel). She's not the world's greatest actress, but for the most part the role is within her limited range. Nina is a high-powered newswoman who pays lip service to Lou's ambitions and likes the material that he gets her, but things quickly go way too far. Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton are also very good in small but important roles.
When I first heard of "Nightcrawler," it sounded like another "Network" clone, and that my viewing of "$ellebrity" was eerily prescient. But while Dan Gilroy, a screenwriter making his directorial debut (who is also the spouse of Rene Russo), pays lip service to our love of carnage and the media's willingness to exploit it, he's not interested in repackaging old ideas. Instead, he's created the anti-"Working Girl." Both Lou and Tess McGill are trying to get ahead, but while Tess is merely impersonating her two-timing boss, Lou's methods are much more sinister.
The problem with the film is, ironically, the film's central character. Lou is a fascinating individual and Gyllehaal is absolutely marvelous in the role, but the character is underwritten. I never got inside his head and understood how he saw the world. This is crucial for a character as unusual as Lou, but Dan Gilroy's script is in need of some rewrites. Or a longer running time to further develop the subtleties of Lou's personality.
Nevertheless, "Nightcrawler" remains compelling viewing. It's a tough sell because it's not easy to describe it completely in a few sentences, but it's well worth seeing. Trust me on this.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton
Rated R for Violence including Graphic Images, and for Language
Sorry comic book nerds, this isn't a film version of the "X-Men" character (thank God...). Instead, it's about an odd duck who finds a niche, and will do anything to rise to the top.
Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a strange young man living in Los Angeles. Blessed with extremely limited social skills, he uses petty crime to get by. Then he sees an accident on the freeway where two police officers are pulling a woman from a flaming car. Also on the scene is Joe Loder (Paxton), a "nightcrawler." A nightcrawler is a someone who records footage of crime scenes (the more carnage the better, and preferably without police interference) and sells them to news stations. Lou thinks that this would be an easy way to make a quick buck, and decides to do it himself. He turns out to be very good at it, which earns him the admiration of Nina Romina (Russo), who runs a low-rated news station. But Lou is ambitious, and he'll do anything to get to the top.
"Nightcrawler" is part character-study and part-thriller. Lou is a fascinating character with an interesting way of looking at the world. He is not a normal individual; he views himself as a CEO of a major company (complete with all the mantras) despite the fact that he's barely able to make ends meet and has only one assistant (a guy named Rick, played by up-and-coming British actor Riz Ahmed) under him. He's socially awkward with borderline-autistic personality traits. He's also very ambitious and highly intelligent. Not even I was prepared for some of the things that he does.
The cornerstone of the film is Jake Gyllenhaal. The young actor has made a name for himself playing darker characters ("Donnie Darko" being a prime example), although he is more than capable of handling lighter material like "October Sky." Lou Bloom is easily the most twisted character Gyllenhaal has ever played. Having dropped 20 pounds for the role, the athletic looking Gyllenhaal looks emaciated (not to the extent that Christian Bale did in "The Machinist" though). and his striking eyes are hollowed out. Director Dan Gilroy highlights this and photographs them in such a way that Lou seems more unhinged than he already is. While it's too early to tell if Gyllenhaal will get an Oscar nomination, it's definitely a possibility.
He's surrounded by an able supporting cast. Rene Russo was once one of the premiere leading ladies in Hollywood, but has laid low over the past 10 years (the only films she appeared in were "Thor" and its sequel). She's not the world's greatest actress, but for the most part the role is within her limited range. Nina is a high-powered newswoman who pays lip service to Lou's ambitions and likes the material that he gets her, but things quickly go way too far. Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton are also very good in small but important roles.
When I first heard of "Nightcrawler," it sounded like another "Network" clone, and that my viewing of "$ellebrity" was eerily prescient. But while Dan Gilroy, a screenwriter making his directorial debut (who is also the spouse of Rene Russo), pays lip service to our love of carnage and the media's willingness to exploit it, he's not interested in repackaging old ideas. Instead, he's created the anti-"Working Girl." Both Lou and Tess McGill are trying to get ahead, but while Tess is merely impersonating her two-timing boss, Lou's methods are much more sinister.
The problem with the film is, ironically, the film's central character. Lou is a fascinating individual and Gyllehaal is absolutely marvelous in the role, but the character is underwritten. I never got inside his head and understood how he saw the world. This is crucial for a character as unusual as Lou, but Dan Gilroy's script is in need of some rewrites. Or a longer running time to further develop the subtleties of Lou's personality.
Nevertheless, "Nightcrawler" remains compelling viewing. It's a tough sell because it's not easy to describe it completely in a few sentences, but it's well worth seeing. Trust me on this.
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