Review: Nightcrawler

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If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket.

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a thief that's focused on finding himself work that will earn him a decent amount of money. One day he comes across a crash on the highway and notices the freelance cameramen that film the event and sell them off to news stations. He decides this is for him, and delves into this world headfirst. He starts selling his footage to to a specific news director, Nina. (Rene Russo) But he's never satisfied, and continues to make more questionable decisions when it comes to the crime scenes he's filming. 

There's no other way to put it. Lou Bloom is a slimy bastard. Literally everything he does is morally wrong and he's a total dick on top of it. His ego is out of control, but that in itself is so fascinating. Gyllenhaal is fantastic here. Lou is a very forceful person, and you're almost afraid to see how far he will go to get what he wants. Lou is kind of the moon of this movie, he's the center of attention, and everyone else is just there. While the supporting cast does give convincing performances, nothing really matches Gyllenhaal.

I liked the overall tone, the shots of LA at night, and the way the film ended was my favorite part, but it's hard to explain without spoiling it. Maybe at a later time, I'm sure we'll be seeing this film again during Oscar season.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "I don't have what you'd call a formal education, but I believe you can learn anything if you look hard enough." - Lou (Jake Gyllenhaal)


Comments

  1. s.November 4, 2014 at 12:45 PM

    I'm seeing this instead of Interstellar, this looks really good! And Rene Russo is so fantastic, glad to see her in a role that got so much critic attention

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 4, 2014 at 1:35 PM

      Aw, you should see both! I'm still excited for Interstellar, but yes, this one is amazing and Russo is perfect for her part.

      Delete
    2. s.November 4, 2014 at 2:22 PM

      I just can't sit in the cinema for 3 hours while looking at Hathaway delivering monologues about love and listening to church organs in the score.

      I'm too old for this shit :)

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2014 at 7:35 AM

      LOL 3 hours of McConaughey doesn't cancel that out?

      Delete
    4. s.November 5, 2014 at 1:16 PM

      He ain't shirtless and that's a gross misuse of his talents :)

      Delete
  2. thevoid99November 4, 2014 at 6:09 PM

    The Louis Bloom character is evil. The guy has no morals. Hell, I'd think he'd sell out his own mother for a dollar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2014 at 7:35 AM

      Oh for sure, he was just awful. Interesting, but awful.

      Delete
  3. Candice FrederickNovember 4, 2014 at 9:04 PM

    hmmm intriguing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RuthNovember 6, 2014 at 4:14 PM

    This looks really good!! Jake G is on a roll, he seems drawn to really dark roles the way Christian Bale is, and I won't be surprised if he wins his Oscar real soon. Plus it's nice to see Rene Russo's talent being utilized properly, hope she's back in more prominent roles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 7, 2014 at 6:42 AM

      Yes! She kind of disappeared for awhile, didn't she? I really hope Oscar bites at this for Jake. He deserves it so much.

      Delete
  5. LukeNovember 6, 2014 at 8:53 PM

    What is so interesting is that it really came out of nowhere as far as directors go. Dan Gilroy has written a handful of scripts that made it to features, but he shows some real skill with his first directorial effort. Nice review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 7, 2014 at 6:41 AM

      Oh for sure. I look forward to whatever he directs next.

      Delete
  6. Lights Camera ReactionNovember 14, 2014 at 6:43 AM

    Lovely review! Solid film although I think my expectations were a little too high. That shot of gyllenhaal when that guy was being carried into the ambulance was horrifying! Can you imagine what he was like as a child? I was really interested how he stirred the conversation away from where he grew up during that dinner scene.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 15, 2014 at 6:56 AM

      He was probably awful. Like torturing small animals awful.

      Delete
  7. m.brownNovember 21, 2014 at 8:37 PM

    Awesome as usual, Brittani. I'm with everyone here as being fully down for whatever Gilroy serves up next. I might be overselling it, but I was CAPTIVATED by Gyllenhaal in this. One of my favorite performances in years.

    (oh, and your memorable quote? That line was soooooo good!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 22, 2014 at 6:52 AM

      I'm going to be very disappointed if he doesn't get an Oscar nomination for this. This is easily one of the best performances I've seen all year.

      Delete
  8. JoshDecember 2, 2014 at 1:47 PM

    Gyllenhaal was terrific in this film. I don't see it getting anywhere in the Oscar race, but I hope I'm wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 3, 2014 at 7:36 AM

      I hope so too, this film deserves to be in the Oscar race. Especially Gyllenhaal.

      Delete

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