Nightcrawler
Dir: Dan Gilroy
2014
*****
Dan Gilroy's directional debut is an absolute winner. Gilroy has been a script writer since the early 90's, he hasn't written many films that have been made and to be honest, the first I'd heard of him was when his name was mentioned as screen writer on the doomed Superman reboot; Superman Lives. Of the films he has written and that have been made, only a couple of them are of merit, so Nightcrawler maybe the sort of thing that happens when good writers are given full reign, Hollywood please take note. Nightcrawler appeals to me most because it feels like a 70's thriller (an era and genre I adore), an early Scorsese in style and somewhat Friedkinesque in mood. Jake Gyllenhaal's Louis Bloom is a modern day Travis Bickle, a unique product of society that is rarely explored and something I think cinema today needs more of. Nightcrawler is a villain led film, there are no bad guys. He's no lovable rouge or anti-hero either, the audience don't like him and they don't want him to win, which makes it quite a unique story and an edgy and somewhat uncomfortable thrill. The film is the visual embodiment of the idea that no one wants to look at a car crash, they just can't help themselves although it takes the idea one step further. It's a direct swipe at the news media (LA in particular) but also to the wider issue of audience. We know the media are corrupt but we keep on buying their news, how far will it go? Jake Gyllenhaal is amazing in his performance, it's clear he took the role by the horns and let it envelope him. It was his idea to loose weight for the role as he thought it would make him more 'Coyote' looking, Gyllenhaal saw the character as a hungry coyote so much so that 'Coyote' was almost the title of the film. His methods worked a treat as it is an unforgettable performance. It was also great to see the brilliant Riz Ahmed, an actor who always impresses me, in a supporting role. Ahmed has been quoted as saying that it is his favorite film that he's worked on after Four Lions and I think I'd have to agree. Dan Gilroy could be accused of nepotism in casting his wife in his debut but Rene Russo is actually perfect in her role, looking and sounding like the real deal, giving the film the important realism that makes it so effective. Nightcrawler is unbelievably creepy but totally believable at the same time, it's not quite satire but it is on the same page. I associate satire with comedy, Nightcrawler is in many respects a horror. A stand out film of the year and quite possibly a future classic.