Nightcrawler

Spare a thought for Jake Gyllenhaal, if you will. A professional child performer who has managed to hone his craft over the years, young Jake never seems to have earned the critical acclaim that has been bestowed on other actors of his generation. Just look at his Brokeback Mountain co-stars: Heath Ledger cemented his position as a Hollywood legend with a couple of stellar roles before his premature death, while Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway have since established themselves as nomination bait during award seasons. And Gyllenhaal? Well, he went on to make Prince of Persia. Which puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

What Nighcrawler represents is an opportunity for the erstwhile Donnie Darko to show critics and audiences what he’s truly capable of, and in Lou Bloom he has found an unlikely saviour. Isolated, introverted and emotionally detached, he’s a Los Angeleno hell-bent on getting hired and forging a career in today’s competitive market. The job doesn’t matter, nor does the sector, as long as it puts him on the map. When he comes across a TV crew filming the carnage caused by a highway accident, Lou finds his calling and decides to become a freelance video reporter. It’s not long before success goes to his head and he starts interfering with crime scenes in a bid to secure higher ratings.

It’s the perfect role for an up-and-coming actor to sink his teeth into and Gyllenhaal clearly relishes the opportunity. He goes through the traditional “Method” motions (weight loss, unappealing hair), but it’s in the delivery of his character’s unusual dialogue where he truly shines. With his unsettling propensity to speak in buzzwords and positive action verbs, Bloom sounds like he’s constantly giving a job interview – or hosting it, depending what side of the metaphorical table he is sitting at. “I've made up my mind to find a career that I can learn and grow into. Who am I? I'm a hard worker. I set high goals and I've been told that I'm persistent”, he says to a prospective employer at the beginning of the film, before delivering the already classic line “If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket”. Most of the times the lines will raise a few laughs, but there’s no denying that these are the warning signs for a sociopath. Either way, expect Lou Bloom quotes to appear on business students’ dorm walls in the very near future.

But while Gyllenhaal does an excellent job at bringing this 21^st Century Travis Bickle to life, it would be a mistake to overlook Dan (brother of Tony) Gilroy’s dual role as director and screenwriter. By tackling a dark subject matter – the media’s exploitation of urban crime – the first time director manages to generate chills and thrills from the most controversial of scenarios, the key one being a gruesome domestic invasion accompanied by the jaded commentary of two news anchors. Of course the irony is that, by having us so engrossed in these scenes, Gilroy is making the audience complicit in the sensationalism he’s criticising. Also, he pulls off what must be the year’s messiest car chase and is all the better because of it.

With awards season just around the corner, is it worth pondering Nightcrawler’s chances at the 2015 Oscars? It’s probably just a waste of time, especially with so many biopics hovering around at the moment. Whether he gets nominated or not, it’s worth highlighting that Gyllenhaal’s performance is one of the best of the year and one that should finally prove his credentials as a serious actor. Move over Donnie, Lou is here to stay.

5/5