Nocturnal Animals (2016) Dir: Tom Ford
Instagram post:
Written and directed by the hugely successful fashion designer Tom Ford, this neo-noir crime thriller was based upon the novel 'Tony And Susan' by Austin Wright, and has amassed some pretty positive reviews since its release in 2016. I was very intrigued by it, because of the various screen-caps I've seen of it, as much as anything else.
In that regard, I knew I was going to be watching a stylistically interesting piece of cinema. Whilst the film wasn't entirely constructed of stimulating and pretty shots, it was still well-filmed, and those eye-catchint shots really are very nice to look at. The framing, the use of colour, of lighting - it comes together so nicely in some of them.
The soundtrack was certainly befitting the neo-nour genre. There were times where it felt as though I were watching a classic noir like 'Double Indemnity'. It complimented the dark themes of the narrative very effectively, and the use of stringed instruments added that tinge of emotion that sent some of the scenes to the next level.
The story itself was well paced and fairly thrilling. There was one scenes towards the end that didn't really feel necessary, but I can see what Ford wanted to do. I liked the emotions that drove both narratives forwards, and I loved how they intertwined - it was interesting, thrilling and thought provoking.
Jake Gyllenhaal gave the usual insanely good performance, wrought with emotion and intensity. This man does not know how to half-ass a role, at least not that I've seen. He is so good at showing those deep, vulnerable, sometimes ugly emotions that make for powerful viewing.
Amy Adams provided some truly excellent and contemplative acting. Her facial expressions were immaculate and emotionally charged. It wasn't a big performance, per se, but it was a very good one. She was really in this and 'Arrival' in the same year, which is absurd, considering they may be her two best performances to-date.
There were two real standouts from the supporting cast, the first of whom being Michael Shannon, whose portrayal of a detective at the end of the road grew on me immensely. Then there was Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His accent slipped a little here and there, but his acting was immense. He nailed the swagger and arrogance of his role, and made himself so horrendously detestable.
There were some very good, albeit brief, performances from supporting cast members - and what a talented cast it was, by the way. The best of them was Karl Glusman by a mile, but the likes of Isla Fisher, Ellie Bamber, Laura Linney, Robert Aramayo, Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough, Jena Malone, and the controversial Armie Hammer, also contributed.
Overall, I found this to be a thrilling and intense neo-noir thriller, which mixed its dark themes with great emotional storytelling to keep its audience on edge until the very end. The ending takes a minute to truly sink in, but once it does, you realise how effective it was. The implicit storytelling is as important as the explicit, and it makes it so enjoyable.
Comments