Review: 'Nightcrawler' starring Jake Gyllenhaal

To have a goal, to really reach for something, is what most Hollywood movies celebrate. We praise the overachievers, those who are willing to sacrifice anything and everything to achieve greatness. But what happens when the need to become the best gets twisted? What happens when it lays within someone whose heart is cold as ice? Someone with such a singular focus that regard for others is a completely foreign concept? Look at our news today, where murders lead the local broadcasts and cable outlets cut in for hours of "Breaking News" at the first sign of tragedy, and all for the sake of ratings. "If it bleeds, it leads", is the mantra for Dan Gilroy's pulse-pounding, evocative thriller Nightcrawler, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal in the boldest performance of his career.

In a lot of ways, Nightcrawler is the culmination of everything Gyllenhaal has been building to since setting off on a different path, one that took him away from mainstream flicks like Prince of Persia, or feeble rom-coms like Love and Other Drugs. As he's taken on darker roles in films like Prisoners, Enemy, and End of Watch, Gyllenhaal has literally transformed into a completely different actor, and it's fascinating to watch. In Nightcrawler he plays Louis Bloom, an awkward, somewhat manic low-life criminal looking for work in nocturnal Los Angeles but finding none. Gaunt, sickly, yet energized, Bloom is like Norman Bates given the dangerous energy of a cornered animal. Tired of pawning off stolen goods (for which he's willing to hurt people to get), he happens upon a burning wreck on the freeway and, rather than offering a hand of help, Louis comes up with a completely self-serving idea. Noticing the throng of freelance journalists at the scene, nightcrawlers, Louis decides this is the career for him.

And of course, he's right. Nightcrawling rewards those who find and capture the most gruesome, violent footage in order to sell it off to the news stations for easy money. "If it bleeds, it leads". It's a profession tailored to the unscrupulous, the psychotic, and it's pretty clear that Louis fits the bill and probably has for a long time. But he's also a voracious learner, leeching off the other freelancers like seasoned videographer Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), who doesn't know quite what to make of this strange but tenacious newcomer. Hiring an equally desperate but innocent homeless man (Riz Ahmed), Louis begins to carve out his niche. It's a dog-eat-dog gig, and soon Louis is earning top dollar by selling his graphic footage to Nina (Rene Russo), an unscrupulous TV news producer desperate for higher ratings. Her enthusiasm for the death and violence he brings borders on the orgasmic. Why bother asking where he got it from? Part of the thrill of Nightcrawler is watching the power struggle between the two; their relationship going from professional to slightly erotic to totally creepy.

What starts out like a darkly comic look at one man's climb up the greasy ladder of trash journalism slowly unfolds into something more. It takes a little while for writer/director Dan Gilroy to get his footing, but once things are set into motion Nightcrawler is simply enthralling. As a twisted look at the corrosive state of modern journalism, the film stands on par with Network and Broadcast News, while offering Gyllenhaal the kind of iconic role people will be talking about for years. Gilroy's understanding of the newsroom atmosphere is a little suspect, and let's face it 90% of the stuff Louis gets on air would never make it through the door. But it works in the context of the thriller Gilroy is crafting, one that forces us to take at face value some rather extraordinary circumstances. And yet we're so engrossed by the ever-increasing stakes that we're willing to along for the ride, which turns out to be completely worth it.

It can't be understated just how good Gyllenhaal is here, clearly delivering the best work of his career. But it's not just him deserving of praise. Russo gets the kind of juicy role women of her age don't get often enough anymore, and even if it's only because her husband is the director she doesn't waste the opportunity. Watching the charismatic Ahmed tone it down to play Louis' indecisive and sappy partner takes a little getting used to, and every scene that features Paxton is a treat. Their performances are bolstered by the gorgeous cinematography by Robert Elswit, whose seedy Los Angeles we've seen previously in the works of Paul Thomas Anderson. Gilroy plunges us into a slimy, sleazy morass where someone like Louis Bloom can take root, and it's a place that should look eerily, scarily familiar. Much like its demented protagonist, Nightcrawler isn't afraid to cross the line to keep us in its grip.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Jake Gyllenhaal gets Graphic in Red Band Trailer for 'Nightcrawler'

So who do you have down as Best Actor for the Oscars? It's going to come down to the wire with a number of performances seeming like obvious choices: Steve Carell for Foxcatcher, Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything, Michael Keaton for Birdman, and hopefully somewhere in there will be room for Jake Gyllenhaal, who is downright feral as a twisted journalist in Nightcrawler.

A new red band trailer for the Dan Gilroy-directed film has been released and it thrusts you head first into a seedy underworld of Los Angeles crime journalism. And at the heart of it is Jake Gyllenhaal's character, a "nightcrawler" whose desire for success and fame has no ethical or moral bounds. "If it bleeds, it leads". The media hasn't been skewered like this in a movie in a very long time, and it's a thrill ride from start to finish.

Also starring Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed, Nightcrawler opens Oct. 31st.


Nightcrawler Official Red Band TRAILER 1 (2014) - Jake Gyllenhaal Movie HD by MovieTrailerz

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Jake Gyllenhaal Covers the Action in New Trailer for 'Nightcrawler'

Is Jake Gyllenhaal the next actor on the verge of a McConaughey-esque career resurgence? Nope, because he's already neck deep into it with a string of remarkable performances in End of Watch, Enemy, and Prisoners. But unlike McConaughey, Gyllenhaal was never really considered a "joke"; he was just an actor who spent a lot of years flashing tremendous potential. With an awards season date set aside for his latest film, Nightcrawler, it looks like Gyllenhaal has finally turned the corner.

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy screenwriter), Nightcrawler has Gyllenhaal as Lou, a desperate man who delves into the seedy underworld of Los Angeles crime journalism. He becomes part of a group of reckless, adrenaline-seeking cameramen capturing the city's most violent crimes all in the sake of making some fast money. But when things start getting dangerous Lou becomes closer to the action than he was prepared for.

Also starring Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton, Nightcrawler opens on October 31st after debuting in Toronto next month.


NIGHTCRAWLER - Official Trailer #2 (2014) Jake Gyllenhaal Movie HD by MovieTrailerz

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Review: 'Thor: The Dark World' Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Natalie Portman

At one point in Marvel's superhero sequel Thor: The Dark World, the devious Loki (Tom Hiddleston) exclaims confidently "If it was easy, everybody would do it!" That sentiment could describe Marvel's genius construction of their cinematic universe, a perennial cash cow that only seems to be getting more lucrative by the film, especially in the wake of the $1.5B-grossing The Avengers. While an assemblage of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was always a shoe-in to be a hit, the solo films have been more of a challenge, and none more so than Thor. And while that first movie did well despite its many problems, the sequel surpasses Iron Man 3 in terms of scope and focus to be one of the most entertaining superhero movies yet.

The mandate is pretty clear for this one from the beginning: Do everything bigger!! The sheer spectacle of Thor: The Dark World stands on par with The Avengers, and while nobody is going to say the film is better, it's impressive the number of elements director Alan Taylor is able to juggle successfully. A Lord of the Rings-style flashback, complete with dark elves that look like orcs battling Asgardians with swords and axes, introduces us to the villain Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). There's a bit of mumbo jumbo about the alignment of the Nine Realms and Malekith's desire to plunge the universe into eternal darkness using a powerful destructive force known as the Aether. Defeated, Malekith is forced into slumber and the Aether hidden away where it can never be found, until of course it is found years later quite accidentally by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) while searching for Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who has been missing for months.

So where exactly does one hide a blond chiseled slab of godly beefcake, anyway? Well, you don't, and in the wake of the attack on New York City in The Avengers, Thor is seen delivering Loki to an Asgardian prison where he'll sit for the rest of eternity. But even when behind mystical prison walls Loki is good at getting under one's skin and that includes his mother Frigga (Rene Russo), who gets a greatly expanded role this time as the mediator between her two sons. As Thor gets on with the business of protecting Asgard and the Nine Realms, while also catching the eye of his warrior colleague Sif (Jaime Alexander), he's still torn by his love for Jane. Returning to Earth to find her, he's greeted by a couple of nice slaps to the mug, but after discovering she's been bonded to the Aether it's off to Asgard they go. Before she can finish awkwardly meeting Thor's parents, Malekith is awoken and stages a devastating attack that leaves Thor, Loki, and the almighty Odin (Anthony Hopkins) struck to their core.

And what a battle it is. Really, Malekith's attack on Asgard is the film's biggest set piece, and it looks absolutely incredible. It benefits by the impressive direction by Taylor, the Game of Thrones vet giving Asgard a more grounded, recognizable look than the fake, comic book look favored by previous director, Kenneth Branagh. This Asgard actually looks like a place people could inhabit, which fits with Marvel's clear mandate to make Thor fit into a realistic world. Since the bulk of the action takes place away from Earth this time, it also affords the chance to really dig into the Shakespearean drama that is Thor's family line. Bad blood continues to boil between Thor and Loki, with Hemsworth and Hiddleston both playing their parts extremely well. Let's face it, Hiddleston has been the rock star of the entire Marvel Universe up to this point, and every time he's on screen the film has a dangerous vibe that is undeniably fun. We're presented different shades to Loki's scorned child selfishness that were missing in the first film, and mark him as more than someone out for vengeance. Hemsworth too has really grown into a solid actor, as we saw recently in Ron Howard's Rush, and this version of Thor is one who is feeling the weight of responsibility and family obligation wear him down. The family dynamics of the Thor movies are unlike anything else Marvel's movies can offer and they are consistently fascinating.

Less interesting is pretty much everything that has to do with Jane Foster and her irritating pal, Darcy (Kat Dennings), who had been a scene-stealer the last time around. Less is more with a snarky character like Darcy, and she's around so much that eventually one starts to wish Malekith would pay her a personal visit. For what it's worth, Portman gives her all imbuing Jane Foster with a measure of strength, but she's still basically a damsel in distress waiting to happen. She gets a few moments to flash her intellect alongside the returning Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), but any explanation of the overly-complicated plot just sounds like gobbledygook ripped from an episode of Doctor Who. Idris Elba gets a little more to work with as the fierce protector Heimdall, including a brief but thrilling action sequence that was probably designed just for his fans. One problem that continues to trouble Marvel films are their lackluster villains, and Malekith is another in a long line of them that don't feel all that important.

Effortlessly combining sci-fi, supernatural, and fantasy elements, anything can and often does happen in Thor: The Dark World, and that unpredictability is a big part of why Marvel has struck gold (or is it lightning?) one more time.

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First Teaser Poster for 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', Plus New 'Thor: The Dark World' Image

Comic-Con starts in just a few days, and of course leading up to it we're going to get a flurry of news (like the recent Guardians of the Galaxy details), images and posters. Marvel has released the first teaser poster for next year's sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and while it's a fairly standard image it does suggest that the film will be much darker than the last. Chris Evans is back in the star-spangled costume, and he'll be teaming up with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to take on his former partner Bucky (Sebastian Stan), who is alive and operating as an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

We're also getting a new image from Thor: The Dark World, but you won't find the hammer-wielding hero anywhere around. Instead this one focuses on Frigga (Rene Russo) , Thor's stepmother and Queen of Asgard. She didn't have much of a part last time, but here she's armed with a sword and looking like she's ready to protect Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) from an impending attack. My guess is someone has broken in looking for Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet, which is currently in Odin's possession. Hopefully the ladies, and that includes Jaime Alexander as Sif, will get more to do this time around.

Thor: The Dark World opens on November 8th, while Captain America: The Winter Soldier arrives April 4th 2014.

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Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman

More than any other Marvel superhero, Thor is the one that's easiest to get wrong. He's not relatable like a Spider-Man, or a brilliant technological genius of an Iron Man. He's not even a patriot like Captain America. Thor's not even from this planet. He's from way above it in the land of Asgard, the brash and chiseled son of Odin, the king of the Norse gods. It's his mythological nature that makes Thor such a hard sell. Steeped in Norse mythology where everyone apparently still speaks in Shakespearean dialect, if not done right Thor could get very silly very fast. Fortunately Marvel takes the exact right approach to the character. Under the veteran hand of Kenneth Branagh behind the camera, Thor doesn't waste time trying to force us to understand the ways and politics of gods. It aims to be a big, brawny action adventure and a perfect nail to be hammered into Marvel's grand superhero universe.

Branagh's background with Shakespeare's works is immediately evident as Thor is clearly the most theatrical film of the Marvel bunch so far. We're introduced to Thor(Chris Hemsworth) early on, a cocky, war hungry braggart soon to have the mantle of King bestowed upon him by his father, Odin(Anthony Hopkins). Thor's brother, Loki(Tom Hiddleston), is always at his side, a smooth talker and master manipulator. They live in Asgard, a regal realm that looks like a mix of Krypton and Star Wars' Coruscant. On the day of Thor's coronation, an intrusion by the dreaded Frost Giants spurs Thor into rash action. Eager for battle and wielding his mighty hammer Mjolnir, he defies Odin's orders and attacks the Giants' home, breaking a truce and risking all-out war. As punishment, Thor is stripped of his godly powers and banished to Earth, or Midgard as the gods call it.

Crash landing in the heart of the New Mexico desert, Thor is discovered by Jane Foster(Natalie Portman), Dr. Erik Selvig(Stellan Skarsgard), and Darcy(Kat Dennings) who literally run his butt over. His hammer gone, Thor is forced to walk the path of mortals for the rest of eternity. Or until daddy forgives him, which isn't likely to happen because Odin has fallen into a coma-like trance known as the Odinsleep. Loki has taken the opportunity to claim the throne for himself, striking a deal with the Frost Giants to put an end to Odin once and for all. If Thor is ever to get back home, he'll need to earn the wisdom his father tried desperately to impart, and become worthy of wielding Mjolnir once again.

Thor jumps between the big battles and soap opera family dynamics of Asgard, and Thor's comical fish out of water time on Earth. Mjolnir rests embedded in a rock like the sword Excalibur in the middle of the desert, bringing in SHIELD agent Coulson(Clark Gregg) to investigate. This scene will be familiar to folks who hung around for the closing credits of Iron Man 2, but now we get to see the full picture. I was surprised by just how much fun the earthbound parts of the film were, since traditionally this has always been a weak point of any Thor story, but with Portman, Skarsgard, and a phenomenally charismatic turn by Hemsworth there is very rarely a dull moment. We don't get to see Natalie Portman in supporting roles like this very often, but she's perfect as the flighty scientist trying to wrap her brain around the god standing before her. Watching her try to figure out if he's real or insane is hilarious. For his part, Hemsworth nails my idea of what Thor should be. It's not just that he's arrogant, this is a god who comes from royalty. He's always been better than anybody he's ever faced, and so it's only natural that he have something of an attitude, especially when in the midst of a deadly fight. But his experience on earth and the changes he undergoes are believable and a pleasure to watch.

The steal of the show has to be Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I've never seen the Brit actor before, although I've heard raves about how good he could be in the role, and he knocked it out of the park. Loki is the most obvious character of the bunch. We know he's evil. He's not called the "trickster" for nothing. These are immortals, and Loki in particular sees himself as something more than human, but he's racked with the same petty emotions as the rest of us. While I'm raving, can I go ahead and petition for Kat Dennings to show up in The Avengers somehow? Portman won't be there, but Skarsgard will. Maybe somebody can nudge Joss Whedon into writing in a few quips for her? She's just fantastic in a mostly thankless role. The same goes to Idris Elba as Heimdall, the stoic guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, the gods' means of planetary transport. You might recall some uproar over the casting of an African-American to play the very Caucasian Norse deity, but hopefully after seeing him in action that corner of the peanut gallery will quiet down.

Marvel made a shrewd move in bringing in Branagh to oversee the film. Since he's not really an action director, and I know nothing of his comic book background, he takes a fresh approach to telling the superhero's story. Branagh avoids the stuff that might not translate too well on the screen and focuses on the stuff that obviously does, huge special effects-laden wars sprinkled well with placed humor to lighten the mood. The story itself might be a bit thin compared to Spider-Man or even Iron Man 2, but I promise you'll never feel cheated. There probably could've been a little more time spent with Thor and Foster together, but it's a minor complaint. Thor has the added burden of being the most clear cut prequel to The Avengers, and we get all the geek moments people like me having been salivating for. Those of you dying for a glimpse of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye will get your wish, and by now everyone should be trained to hang around during the closing credits.

The 3D doesn't add a lot to the experience, to the point that I lifted my glasses up a few times and just watched it normally. What surprised me is just how well staged the action was, and how special effects heavy the film turned out. It's not what you'd expect from Branagh, but again he's pulled out all the stops. The New Mexico stuff is pretty flat, but Asgard is a wondrous place to behold.

We'll be getting Captain America: The First Avenger next as the race towards The Avengers continues. While it looks like a solid pic, Thor has set the superhero bar ridiculously high, and I'm not sure anybody else, whether it be Green Lantern or the X-men, will be able to reach it.

Trav's Tip: Star Chris Hemsworth very nearly lost out on the role of Thor to Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki in the film. Hemsworth was even taken out of consideration at one point, before ultimately winning the job. Kenneth Branagh decided that Hiddleston's look and background made him a more suitable choice for Loki.

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