Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a nobody driven to steal
chain-link fences, manhole covers and other spare parts for petty cash in L.A.
when he discovers the underground world of crime journalism. With the aid of a
TV-news show-runner (Rene Russo), Lou becomes entangled with the police and
innocent bystanders as he slowly but surely crosses the line between observer
and participant.
Nightcrawler is
one of those movies that I just knew
I was going to like from the very first frames: a slow montage of shots
depicting L.A. in the depths of night, the pale moon standing sentinel in the
sky as the city lights blaze and the haunting, melodical score kicks in. This
initial treat was a combination of skill provided by cinematographer Robert
Elswit (who has proven many times in the past that he can shoot the night
brilliantly) and composer James Newton Howard, who has had very few memorable
scores since his collaboration with Dark
Knight composer Hans Zimmer came to an end but is finally given his time to
shine.
To begin with an appraisal of the framing and music might
seem to suggest that perhaps what followed was not up to scratch, which could
not be further from the truth: Gyllenhaal isn’t just playing a character, he is the character, transforming into Lou
Bloom, who is perhaps best described thusly: you take the geeky, apathetic
mannerisms of Jesse Eisenberg in The
Social Network, melded with the implacable eyes of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter and add an over-zealous
helping of hair-grease.
Rene Russo is also on top form as domineering news-runner
Nina, adding further fuel to the fire as Bloom feverishly participates in his
own warped version of the American Dream. Four
Lion’s Riz Ahmed also makes an appearance as the street-wise opportunist employed
as Bloom’s navigator, and, while certainly capable, feels brought in purely to
state the obvious to Bloom’s face, right up until a crucial moment in the plot
which I can’t explain due to spoilers but which I’d love to talk about because
it’s quite cleverly executed.
Much like the news footage central to the premise, the film
leaves very little to the imagination, and the graphic detail of the crimes
helps sell the utter depravity of the lead character, willing to shoot anything
for a quick buck. While some may see this as exploitative and hypocritical –
and the film as a whole is one or two incidents too long – that refusal to look
away is also central to one of the more tense set pieces. In a time when
high-octane car chases, it’s wonderfully exciting to encounter a film which
builds and builds before throwing the audience into the hot seat of a genuinely
thrilling chase that resulted in sincere seat-gripping amongst the audience.
For first-time director (and acclaimed writer) Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler is a considerable
achievement, a no-holds-barred indictment of amateur video culture with a
unique and mesmerising performance at the centre. This is Gyllenhaal’s finest
hour since Donnie Darko, without a
shadow of a doubt.
