'Nocturnal Animals' is directed by Tom Ford and stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The film concerns a young art gallery owner (Adams) who lives a very unhappy life surrounded by her cold, materialistic, and uncaring friends and husband. She then receives a manuscript from her ex-husband (Gyllenhaal) and through reading it, we see her life unfold and connect to the novel in various ways.
First, I must point out that this film is not for everyone and for most folks out there you will know if you're such a person from the moment the film opens. From the opening credits to the final shot of the film, whatever you may think you're coming for, you will not be prepared for the most emotionally draining and visually brilliant film of the year that will keep your attention and really make you think.
The director is a fashion designer normally, and here you can see he has a strong eye for beauty, art, and deep details and this is one of 'Nocturnal Animals' greatest strengths. The range of emotions one feels when sitting through this film is fascinating to say the least. I felt anger, sadness, coldness, and so many more that it's hard to remember them all. The strong symbolism here is a little too on the nose at times while in others its so subtle and quiet I almost missed it and really keeps one on their toes during the film's surprisingly short running time.
The symbolism also presents 'Nocturnal Animals' with both its greatest strength and its flaws as the images on the screen take over and some real talented actors are somewhat pushed to the side for the most part and it seems like a waste as I really love these actors. The film could have perhaps benefited from being a short film or a modern art piece as its all about the interpretation and the audience's thoughts about it rather than what's directly in front of us on the screen.
'Nocturnal Animals' is a beautiful art exhibit that is flawed as a film but works as a project in itself. It's not the typical 'Art' film and its not the typical film but all of its scars make it more exquisite.
No comments:
Post a Comment