One of the most timely and culturally relevant films ever!

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2015)

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is an out of work, eccentric young man trying to make it in LA. While he's clearly optimistic and driven, he just can't seem to find the right opportunity. He spends his time trying just about anything to make a buck. One night he randomly stumbles across an accident and notices the men filming it. With that, Lou is ushered into the world of late night crime journalism; also known as Nightcrawling. While his initial forays into the business are unsuccessful, he eventually gets a break when he meets Nina (Rene Russo), a well-seasoned TV newswoman who is always in the market for compelling footage. Every late night tragedy now becomes a new opportunity; and Lou doesn't hesitate to capitalize on them. But the more successful he becomes and the further he rises in the business, the more clear it is that Lou is more than a just a savvy business man.
Gynlenhal is memorizing as Lou Bloom! Lou undergoes a kind of metamorphosis; at first he exudes the determination and drive you can't help but cheer for (and see a bit of yourself in). Then he slowly develops and learns to wield his intellect and cunning to his advantage. But eventually his zeal and tenacity become something else entirely. You don't really realize what's happened until it's obvious; Lou is a monster. And he's the kind of monster you don't see coming. It's brilliant work really and the effectiveness of Gynlenhal's performance is hard to deny. This is the best Gynlenhal performance I've ever seen! Russo is also excellent as the hardened, "do whatever it takes to get the ratings" Producer Nina. She's clearly underrated here as her vile, slimy character goes unnoticed for most of the film. It's not until near the end that you realize that she's really not that much different than Lou.
There's a great scene where Nina is confronted by another member of the news team about airing footage that goes against virtually every rule of responsible journalism. Nina dismisses him in such a swift and ruthless manner it's amazing to watch; his reaction so succinctly captures the horror of it all and it's nothing short of brilliant. Russo's award worthy turn as this repulsive figure is what makes that scene one of the best of the year; she had to deliver a strong performance here to rival Jake's and she succeeds in doing so. For his directorial debut I don't think Gilory could've chosen a more fitting location than LA. The backdrop of the LA night only seems to heighten the horror of it all, the sliminess and the treachery. The city were so many go to extraordinary lengths to achieve fame and notoriety is the perfect breeding ground for this kind of business.
The rags to riches element of Lou's rise kept me engaged as I always find those kinds of stories compelling, but the parallels to the current media were immediate. This film is a critique of the culture of our news media; which seems these days to focus more on entertainment, ratings and driving narrative, instead of providing information and educating viewers. Nina mirrors this precisely in her pursuit of a great story and it's chilling how clear the similarities are. Think about it? How often do you find yourself wandering why the news is covering celebrities as opposed to real news? Another element portrayed here is the TMZ effect in the media. To desire to get the salacious footage or the private phone call at any cost, with no consideration whatsoever for the people involved or how this will affect them. Lou stops at nothing to not only get the story first, but to create a particular narrative to feed into the viewer's already preconceived notions and fears. I found myself looking inward and asking is this the kind of behaviour we're rewarding when we watch the latest TMZ video? Is this what we're craving when we revel is the fall on a public figure because of a private conversation or their personal beliefs? The answer seems to be yes, and that's alarming. The fact is the news and entertainment media has fused together to become what I call edutainment. And we're the proverbial pigs that constantly feed at this trough.
Nightcrawler is also very much about corporate greed. Lou does everything in his power to use, manipulate and discard an employee when necessary in is this film solely to keep the majority share of his enterprise; with no sincerity, remorse or consideration. When we watch these characters on film we cringe and believe they are horrible, despicable people. Yet in business, we call these people successful. Why is that? To answer this answer, I had to recall a documentary I watched a while back called The Corporation where they studied the behaviours of various corporations and attempted to equate their behaviour to that of a real person. And what kind of person did their research find most resembled a corporation? A psychopath. What The Corporation mused about in theory, Nightcrawler illustrates perfectly on screen. Gyllenhaal fully embodies the process of becoming a monster and it's chilling to watch unfold.
So does Nightcrawler have a "happy ending"? If Lou were a corporation we'd say it's reached a new summit of success and would call it a successful, profitable company. Is this what it takes to succeed in today's world? It's unsettling to even consider, but I believe people like this are "succeeding" in life. They may very well be at the helm of many powerful companies and organizations. But these kinds of psychopaths won't bludgeon you to death with a knife, but with a smile while wearing an exquisitely tailored suit. And this is why Nightcrawer is one of the most important film you'll see this year.
Blog: www.themoviesnob.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMovieSnob247
Twitter: @TheMovieSnob247