How far would you go for success?

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2015)

Jake Gyllenhaal (yee-lehn-hail-uh) goes for it full throttle in Nightcrawler, and boy, is he something to marvel at! His bulging, leery, obsessed eyes glare sickeningly from their sockets, framed with his cadaverous visage. The unnerving, inhuman character he inhabits is simply impeccable. It's hard to take your eyes off his face when he's on screen, which is really saying something. You just don't want to miss a split-second of him sporting a maniacal stare, smile or grin. His sidekick (Riz Ahmed) also delivers as far as acting goes, though there could have been more chemistry between the two of them. This may well have been the intention of the director (Dan Gilroy), however, to underscore the discord of their radically disparate personalities.
The opening score is mesmerizing; it does a beautiful job transporting the viewer to the place where Nightcrawlers thrive. The story seems unrealistic some times, but frighteningly real at others. The legendary Queen lyrics come to mind, "Is this the real life; is this just fantasy?" The direction is solid. There are several original ideas, which come off excellently.
Witness how someone with a GPS, a video camera, and no morals can work his way to big bucks in the tabloid news casting world, willing to make any sacrifice along the way. A great movie with praiseworthy performance from the cast, especially from J.G. 8/10.