Nightcrawler

Released:  October 31^st, 2014

Rated:  R

Studio:  Open Road Films

Starring:  Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton

Directed by:  Dan Gilroy                    

Written by:  Dan Gilroy

Personal Bias Alert:  likes antiheros, doesn’t really know who Rene Russo is

9 of 10

            The logo for distributor Open Road Films has quickly become something that makes me perk up with excitement.  They’ve only existed a few years, but they’ve already established a solid lineup of sure-fire horror moneymakers and intelligent, well-made thrillers.  It’s the thrillers that’ve captured my attention, with The Grey, Side Effects, and now Nightcrawler all finding a home at Open Road Films.  The company’s done their distribution jobs well, both The Grey and Side Effects were financial successes, but this year Open Road seems to be pushing into the awards race with films like the Jon Stewart helmed Rosewater and the exceptional Nightcrawler.

            Nightcrawler is about the lengths a self-employed crime journalist will go to to get a great story.  It’s also a massive indictment of the American news system, calling out the industry for what the film terms a “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality.  There’s also some stuff about psychopaths, business models, and the economy, but I think the filmmakers would be happy if you just considered it a thrilling character study.

            Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the film’s centerpiece, an ambitious, intelligent, and despicable young man who discovers that there’s money to be made by filming violent crimes and selling the footage to local news stations.  He has a not-so-quiet self-confidence that rubs people the wrong way.  I think the best word to sum him up is smarmy, and Gyllenhaal mines every awkwardly charming bone in his body to make Lou simultaneously off-putting and irresistible.  It really is a tremendous feat, and Gyllenhaal deserves the widespread acclaim he’s garnering.  The camera stays with Lou the entire movie, so if Gyllenhaal had slipped up even a little the whole production would’ve suffered.

            Lou isn’t too interested in people, so the supporting cast is small.  Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed are great in the small parts they have, but they never get close enough to Lou to really get fleshed out.  Rene Russo plays the news director that Lou sells his pieces to and is the only one who gets to go toe-to-toe with Gyllenhaal.  She knocks it out of the park.  Both characters are similarly rotten beasts, and Russo’s role is just as fraught with difficulties and just as essential to the film as Gyllenhaal’s.

            Many of Russo and Gyllenhaal’s interactions really crackle and in many films those would be the stand-out moments, but Nightcrawler is such a taught, suspenseful movie that it’s hard to single out any one scene.  Writer/director Dan Gilroy has delivered a rare film that seems to have every bit it needs and nothing that it doesn’t.  Lou’s slowly unveiled personality is expertly paced so it never seems false or too much, and the grisly action sequences provide enough jolts to keep the energy up.  This film may be critiquing the news’s fascination with disturbing stories, but it’s just as guilty of using the same techniques to get its own audience riled up.

            I may not be able to single out a particular scene as a high point, but the cinematography on this movie is some of the best I’ve seen all year.  Cinematographer Robert Elswit handles the film’s mix of slow burn and high octane moments with ease, adding enough visual flair to keep the whole thing beautifully mesmerizing without drawing too much attention to itself.  On a more technical note, this movie takes place largely at night, and it wasn’t until I walked out of the theater that I remarked on how clear all the action was and how much the colors popped despite always feeling like it was the dead of night.

            This movie is rad, a gutsy, all-out ride, but there are a few too many unrealistic ‘movie moments’ for my taste.  And as much fun as Lou is to watch, I was never emotionally invested in him.  I knew from the beginning that he was bad news (sorry for the pun), and I watched his antics more out of fascination than any desire to see him succeed.  Still, his life is a fun, potentially shocking good time, and I can’t wait to see this movie again.

            Other Notes: 

Ø  Yes, I know that Gilroy and Russo are married, but that doesn’t make her any less perfect for the part.  It was an excellent casting choice.

Ø  Let’s play diagnose this character’s mental disorder!

Ø  Do you like Mexican food?