Nightcrawler - Jake Gyllenhaal

Bacchus

I saw this recently too and wanted to write a post on it but I didn't know how to put together a short comment that encapsulated how great this movie is...

Thanks Darko, you saved me the effort

This was playing on my mind all morning but Nightcrawler may very well be the creepiest film that I have ever seen. There's a sense that much of what occurs is "over the top" but it's really one of the most restrained films to come along in years. There's nothing gratuitous here and the violence is shown in just the right way and as such it's hard to know just what makes it such an unnerving film.

And then as you think about it you realise that the complete lack of humanity shown by our leads is what gives the film that unnerving sense. Neither Lou or Nina has an ounce of empathy, they are as soulless and dead on the inside as the news they package. The way in which Lou goes from simply covering events to manipulating them to suit a more grandiose narrative before finally setting up situations which he knows will risk innocent lives is deeply unhinged and chilling. There are certain ethical and moral questions at the very heart of what he does from day one but by the end of the film he's just an empty soulless vacuum without a single redeeming feature, yet there is something rather endearing about him. He is a twisted, spiteful and evil human being but Nina is still a far more inhuman figure. She is complicit in everything Lou does and actively encourages him to sink deeper in the pit, as he goes more and more out there her admiration and affection for him grows. The manner in which she manufactures the narrative, ignoring key facts so as to present a more sensationalist report is equally as wrong as anything Lou does.

The films most surprising aspect is that it never stops to ask just how complicit the viewer is. There is a case to be made that tabloid journalism exists to feed the unhealthy desire of people who get off on tragedy pron. What is it about the brutal murder of a family that so enthralls them? When people devour imagery of dead children 24 hours a day on rolling news then surely most of the blame for what characters such as Lou gets up to belongs with them.

e_e

Got the blu-ray steelbook and have already re-watched it twice so far. I love that shot where

Bill Paxton is looking up at him from the stretcher

. Gyllenhaal looks genuinely monstrous there.

Ah found it, amazing shot.

e_e

e_e wrote: »

Got the blu-ray steelbook and have already re-watched it twice so far. I love that shot where

Bill Paxton is looking up at him from the stretcher

. Gyllenhaal looks genuinely monstrous there.

Ah found it, amazing shot.

It's rare for me to watch a film and then happily sit down and rewatch it but Nightcrawler is one that I could easily do it with. Was half tempted to put it on again last night to show some friends but we opted for some brain dead Dolph Lundgren fare instead, saving Nightcrawler for Sunday evening.

Adamantium

Deleted User wrote: »

Just after watching this and I think that all I can really say is "Wow". It has been a long time since I saw a film which just completely bowled me over, Nightcrawler is as close to perfection as cinema can get. A dark and adult character study that isn't afraid to paint it's lead as a truly despicable human being. There's not a story as such here but rather we follow a journey down deep into the rabbit hole. Gyllenhaal is superb here, he owns the film and his ability to not blink gives Lou an otherworldly look that's incredibly creepy. He looks and acts like an alien whom has some idea of how humans work but no understanding of the nuances. Riz Ahmed while briefly used was a wonderful counterpart to Lou, he was the conscience that the film used perfectly.

Sitting here trying to think of anything negative to say about the film and there's not a thing, well apart from the fact that it had to end. The two hours flew by and I would happily sit through them again tomorrow morning. And before I forget, the use of score is fantastic. There's a real sense that the cues we here are those which play in Lou's head as he reacts to a situation.

I just watched this tonight and immediately thought instant classic half way through and it never dropped the ball. Really brave and morbidly hilarious, without moralising, very subtle. Five minutes from the end It dawned on me

that this is supposed to be a success story in modern USA and I couldn't stop smiling and laughing, it was sort of inspiring, lol

This is the best film I've seen released in the mainstream in quite a few years and its way too close and just true to the bone of how people do business in any cuthroat industry/business. Yet it felt like such a restrained and classy film too.

We literally made Lou Bloom wealthy

Did anyone else find the amazing guitar soundtrack that's usually reserved for the underdog of a film overcoming all odds finally, fcuking surreal and hilarious only kicking in whenever Bloom was on the verge of achieving success through some morally bankrupt act. The character as a whole is so contemptible, in every sense of the word. Yet I'm so entertained and so invested in him, his brilliant Tony Robbins mantras, his endearing eyes on the prize corporate sensibilties, his cheesy manufactured smiles, I can't help but call Lou Bloom one of the best characters you're gonna find.


I can only imagine the thousands upon thousands of scripts like this that are lying around drawers that will never get made and would be cheap as this film to do so. 8.5 million dollars, it looks a lot more that that.

Best ending I've seen in many years, the last line in the movie

is truly LOL worthy, and you think damn right son

LuckyLloyd

I think it becomes ever clearer that this was THE film of 2014. I think it will be the one most talked about and revisited in 20 years time anyway.

Thargor

Bump, did Lou arrange Bill Paxtons accident or was it just random?

e_e

Spoiler that!

Shows it in a fairly short scene. He snuck into his garden and cut his brakes.

fryup

has anyone noticed all the ultra-macho roles Jake Gyllenhaal has taken on since Broke Back Mountain,

seems like he wants to send out a message "i'm not gay i'm not gay"

Thargor

e_e wrote: »

Spoiler that!

Shows it in a fairly short scene. He snuck into his garden and cut his brakes.

Ah who hasn't seen it at this stage? Thanks for that, dont know how I missed it, I was fully expecting to see a scene where

he torches the guys vans/house/ or something like that...

Irish_rat

This was the best film last year without a doubt.

As I didnt catch any spoilers before I watched the film, it made it much better. Gyllenhaal is his creepiness best in this. A different film but Drive reminds me a bit of it.

As other posters have mentioned it's a classic in the making for sure.

Pierce_1991

Must watch this again, really loved it. Jake is such a great actor, was good in Southpaw as well. I also watched him in Accidental Love this week, anyone heard of that one? Can't say he performs badly in it but it's a mind bonglingly bad movie!