Completely Mesmerizing, Gyllenhaal Get's Lost In This Role

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2014)

WOW. I had heard basically all great things from the reviews of this film going in so I was pretty confident it was going to be good, but had no idea how good. Jake Gyllenhall once again gives an Oscar worthy performance as a crime journalist who gets caught up in 'his business' and pushes the limits of what is morally right. I haven't seen all the performances so far but I cant see Gyllenhaal not getting nominated. It's not even him in the role, it's Louis Bloom. Not once do you even really think that it's Jake Gyllenhaal, and there aren't many actors who can do that.
What's perhaps the most amazing thing about this film is that it's Dan Gilroy's directorial debut. Every shot and scene perfectly flows and the finale is stunning. This film truly kept me on the edge of my seat. The limits that Bloom goes in this film to protect his business and for financial benefit is insane. What's really scary is that he's not phased by the most ridiculous things that happen to him. I actually found myself rooting for this borderline psychopath throughout most of the movie. That's when you know a film is actually making your brain function. This movie is one of the most thought provoking movies I've seen in a long time. It's drawing comparisons to Drive, which is fair. But it's also less artistically driven and meant more as a brain twister. This film also has one of the most intense finales of any movie this year, that's great directing.
Bloom basically becomes obsessed with his job and building himself as the top 'video news journalist' and it completely encompasses him. He starts taking things too far, as you may have thought. And really Bloom is basically the antagonist to his own protagonist. It's worth noting how much insight this film gives into this world and how people potentially get video on crime scenes. It's actually quite scary to think that real life people are doing things very similar to what Bloom does. I really cant recommend this film more. It's a great psychological thriller with a great lead performance. Expect this one to get a lot of buzz come February 22nd.
+Gyllenhaal? Nope it was just Bloom
+Beautifully shot
+Mesmerizing story
+I'm rooting for antagonist/protagonist
+Gripping finale
+Thought provoking
9.8/10