We live in a society where the news is
sensationalized to an absurd level. People don't care if the reporting is of
high quality or if it has a happy ending, they want to see the dark side of our
world. People seem to like rape and murder on their 8pm news. I've
always believed people are like this because it confirms to them that the world
is bad, and anything outside of their personal little bubble is dangerous. My
biggest problem though is that the news knowingly exploits this, instead of covering
what should be covered they decide to go after these sensational stories
because that's what people want to see. It's a question of ethics, and most of
the time the news doesn't seem to have any. I wish more people knew this, but
obviously they wouldn't hear it from the news. "Nightcrawler" takes a
serious look at the way we cover news, it’s social criticism disguised as a
crime thriller. And through its criticism, it places itself alongside some of
the best movies of the year.
Louis Bloom is an ambitious
young man just scrapping by in modern day Los Angeles with less than legal
activities. One evening he is driving down the highway when he comes upon two
cops rescuing a woman from a burning car. Shortly after, two men with cameras
show up and film everything. Louis learns these two are nightcrawlers,
freelance journalists who listen to police scanners at night and film breaking
events. Louis is immediately attracted to this line of work and decides to get
in on the action. So after acquiring a camera and a police scanner, he gets in
on the action. Despite a rocky start, he ends up getting some good footage and
sells it to a TV station. Once his foot is in the door, he starts his own
company and even ends up hiring an intern to help him out. Louis is dedicated
to his work and will do whatever it takes to get the best footage possible, and he
soon finds out that his morals are pretty much non-existent when it comes to
his work.
Ever since I saw the
trailer for this movie, I had been excited; and after watching it, I can
certainly say that it surpassed my expectations. Of all the things this movie
does right there is a clear stand out, and that would be Jake Gyllenhaal. This
isn't just the best performance of his career; it may be the best performance
of the year. He will definitely be nominated for best actor, and has a serious
chance of winning. He really brings to life this complex and sadistic character
in a way most actors could not. And despite being the main character and not
having a particular adversary, he ends up being the villain by the end. I also
have to praise Rene Russo, she manages to stand alongside Gyllenhaal and may be
nominated for best supporting actress. The movie also co-stars a young man
named Riz Ahmed who plays Louis Bloom's assistant. While he doesn't do a bad
job, he is overshadowed by Gyllenhaal every time they share the camera. I feel
they could have found a dozen other actors who could have done a better job.
One aspect that captivated me from the first shot to the closing scene would be
the cinematography; it's beautiful and will likely be up for an Oscar. The
writing is also great and features smart and fast paced dialog, it has to be
one of the best screenplays of the year. The movie also does a great job with
suspense, there were a few times I was on the edge of my seat; and the last
twenty minutes might be the most nail biting moments we see in a movie all
year. The film does suffer from one flaw that I couldn't help but not notice
would be the characters, it's not that they're bad but they are so incredibly
unlikable. They are all horrible people and you don't want to root for anyone.
There's one decent guy among everyone and he's a minor character. Many times
over the years we have seen despicable characters that are likable, but this movie
doesn't have any. "Nightcrawler" is outstanding, I went to see it
with a few friends and nobody had bad things to say. It paints a beautiful
picture of LA's seedy underbelly and the flaws within US media. If "Nightcrawler"
is playing anywhere near you, this is a must watch; it is one of the best
movies of the year. It is dark, disturbing, and the creepiest film you'll watch anytime soon.
Pros: Jake Gyllenhaal gives an Oscar worthy
performance, beautiful cinematography, great writing, smart and fast dialog,
Louis Bloom is a complex and unique character, great performance by Rene Russo,
well directed, suspenseful.
Cons: Riz Ahmed is consistently overshadowed by
Jake Gyllenhaal, very unlikable characters.
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