Nightcrawler

Review By: John Delia

Kicking it up a notch above any acting performance this year, Jake Gyllenhaal sheds a lot of physical weight, adds a despicable attitude and turns a good character into a great one. Reaching out to the massive audience of crime fans, the movie Nightcrawler takes you into the depressing nights in lower income neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Here is where most of the hot news takes place to be used for night time television crime kickers.  It’s a cool thriller that stays with you long after you’ve left the theater.

The movie opens with Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) stealing some chain link fence and an expensive watch to sell for a quick buck.  Later on, he comes upon a crime scene and watches as local photojournalists shoot news footage. There he meets Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), a free-lance cameraman who tells him he sells the footage to a local TV station.  He watches for the news item and finds it on KWLA-TV. Liking what he saw, he decides to buy a camera and a police radio at a pawn shop in trade for the watch he took.

The next night he rushes to an accident with injuries and takes some close-up photos. He even moves a body for a better shot before Loder can get a good view.  Louis then goes to KWLA where he meets with Nina (Rene Russo), the News Director, who takes a chance on running his footage.  The video gets a very good evening news rating.  Shortly thereafter, Louis turns in some very cringing film he took at a home invasion.  It causes another spike in the ratings for the failing TV station and Nina hires Louis for exclusives.  When he comes upon a horrific situation before the police arrive, he uses wicked measures to cover up his recklessness and things start to escalate for Louis.

The movie plays out at a fast pace with Louis becoming a rising star in the business.  Director Dan Gilroy works on Louis’s character showing how the mean spirit of the man exudes with each cringing police event.  Doing anything he can to get to a crime scene first, even playing tricks on his competition, Gilroy shows how despicable Louis becomes.  He inserts Rick (Riz Ahmed), a homeless guy, into the film to be Louis’s assistant which gives him more power by using a second camera to get the “best” shot.

The movie thrives on Louis’s behavior, growing authority and appalling acts.  As Louis, Jake Gyllenhaal gives an outstanding performance.  To achieve his character, prior to shooting he loses a lot of weight so he can depict a shallow faced person who frightens.  His eyes are sunken, his face very thin and stature boney.  If that doesn’t look creepy, his smile would make a clown turn and run.  You can see him change as the movie progresses from a common thief to an important news gatherer. The more he takes control of the news content he provides, the further his “power-hungry meter” spikes. Gyllenhaal’s performance should get the attention of the Academy of Arts and Sciences for a possible Oscar nod.

Taking on the role of a hard boiled News Director, Rene Russo shows her ability to create a desperate Nina who finds herself on the edge of extinction.  She’ll do anything for rating to save her job and Louis brings her the prize.  She looks the other way of Louis’ indiscretions and takes his exploitation based video like a ravenous pitbull.  Russo brings out Nina’s bargaining chips early, winning the battle of payment for Louis’s creative coverage. When Louis starts to get more scoops over the her competition; however, the tables start to turn.

Nightcrawler has been rated R by the MPAA for violence including graphic images, and for language.  Some of the crime scenes are very gory and ghastly.

FINAL ANALYSIS: One of the better crime thriller’s released this year. (A)