Nightcrawler

L.A. at night, full of the flashing lights of ambulances, a career built on climbing over people, the hyena-like behavior of the tabloid press and a super cool Dodge Challenger. Nightcrawler gets off to a slow start, but finishes strong. The centerpiece of the film is the excellent Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor who keeps getting better with age, just like a fine wine. (07/04/2015)

According to a certain scientist, unsuccessful psychopaths fill prisons, while successful ones become bosses of multinational companies, industrial conglomerates, and respectable institutions. Lou is somewhere between these worlds. Without a formal education, but with high determination and an absolute absence of moral restraints and emotions. In the beginning, he is introduced as an absolute loser, but soon seizes an opportunity and starts his own business in the sale of videos, which journalists with ethical restraints cannot stomach. I cannot help but compare it to Fincher's successful drama Gone Girl, which, despite the director's undeniable craftsmanship, felt somewhat artificial to me, especially from an area where the topic has already been extensively explored in the past. I didn't believe in the story in Gone Girl, while Nightcrawler has an unpleasantly realistic undercurrent, and I never doubted for a moment that people like Lou are among us, waiting for their chance. Jake Gyllenhaal is a reliable actor and delivers exactly what his character requires. The direction is brisk and the camera works wonders. I did not regret my visit to the movie theater in the slightest. Perhaps only the script could have been a bit more restrained, as it is noticeable that Dan Gilroy wanted to depict his anti-hero in the most repulsive light possible, and the tools he uses for that purpose are somewhat direct. On the other hand, similar films often tend to partially sympathize with such a character, which fortunately does not apply in this case. Overall impression: 90%. (01/02/2015)

The emotions are about as warm as a winter morning. The characters without a personal story may evoke viewer antipathy, but the economical handling of characters who have sold out to ratings numbers works a treat because these stalkers remain something detached for most of us, coming to us through spicy TV shots, even in ordinary reality. Also, Gyllenhaal's sleazy character works so well that you don't really care which way you're supposed to view the protagonist, which emerges in the end as the main trump card of the creative narrative, and you sort of even accept the pre-credits finish at its mercy. 4 ½. (01/02/2015)

That’s why I don’t watch the news. Modern retelling of the American dream and one of the films of the year. Dany Gilroy hit the nail on the head in an original reflection of today’s society which is precisely what Nightcrawler intends to be. Perfect self presentation when looking for a job, learned universal truths, recklessness, hypocrisy, hatred toward others = today’s model of a successful person. Neat camerawork, great atmosphere and perfect Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s dead. Come and film! (05/01/2015)

Nightcrawler was exactly what I was expecting it to be, which is basically the only complaint I can have. It was missing at least one moment of bigger surprise or shock. Basically, I thought that Gyllenhaal’s self-confident sociopath (all the good things that’ve been said about his performance are true) would go a little further in his quest for career advancement. It’s a critique of an awful era and the lack of morals, where only viewership numbers have value and ethics are pushed aside. “I will never want from you anything that I wouldn’t do myself.” Impressive, dark, captivating, but I think Lumet’s Network cuts deeper. 9/10 (20/12/2014)