Crossing the fine line between ambition and delusion

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2014)

I will admit that I read the good reviews of Jake Gyllenhaal's performance in this and only planned to watch it after he started bagging the best actor nominations, and I must say, I am glad I didn't give this one a miss. Throughout the entire duration of the movie, I was extremely uncomfortable, watching everything that unfolded on screen, and this is where I believe the makers of the movie succeeded, and how! Gyllenhaal was virtually unrecognizable as a pallid, scrawny (I first brushed off this move as awards bait after Matthew McConaughey's success in True Detective) and shady character who steals without remorse but has the gift of the gab which he wields, unfalteringly, to get people to do his bidding. And it very possible that in his mind, there exists no moral compass to tell him to where to back off. So when his Lou finds an opportunity, he runs with it, landing up in a dysfunctional partnership with a nervous homeless youth (Riz Ahmed). The duo crawl through the night gathering up 'footage' of violent crimes and accidents for news channels. As the story progresses, so does Lou's delusions, and the viewers are dragged into the death spiral of his moral degradation as he embarks on one 'victory' after another. The film's final moments, albeit, the most spine chilling, affirms the fact that this might just be the film that will be the career defining for Gyllenhaal. The film is stylishly shot, with a background score that is sometimes jarring, but which adds to whole dark and gritty mood of the film. But the hero, I believe are there performances. This year's dark horse on the awards circuit. Don't miss this one.