When Tom Ford makes a movie, he really makes a movie.
Stylistically sleek and visually stunning, “Nocturnal Animals” paints a thorough, heartrending account of the weight of guilt and revenge. It’s another masterpiece under his belt, striving to match the success of his first feature, “A Single Man.”
Amy Adams plays Susan Morrow, a soft-spoken woman who finds she cannot sleep at night. She’s lost all sense of purpose in her work as an art dealer, she and her husband (Armie Hammer) are suffering both financially and personally, and, now, her past is resurfacing to torment her—in the form of a manuscript.
Susan’s ex-husband, Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) has written a novel and dedicated it to her, a peculiar thing given the context of the book. It is a tragic tale of a Texas family, whose late-night road trip goes awry with a tragic carjacking, resulting in the loss of the wife and daughter. Gyllenhaal plays Tony, essentially a metaphorical stand-in for himself in his own novel, and Isla Fisher and Ellie Bamber play his wife and daughter.
Not only does Tony represent Edward in this story within a story, but Fisher’s character is clearly modeled after Susan. The tale proves to be a work of catharsis as Edward mourns his and Susan’s relationship from 20 years earlier. But the extra kick is that Tony then spends the rest of his life consumed by a drive for revenge.
As Susan reads through the story, flashbacks to her relationship with Edward reveal the struggle that she has had to not become her mother, succumbing to her family’s wealth. Given Susan’s current lavish lifestyle, it seems that struggle did not continue after her breakup with Edward. And, while we get to know Edward through the flashbacks, present-day Edward remains a mystery—a detail that Ford uses to his advantage and to Susan’s torment.
Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as the feeble survivor, but Amy Adams’ nuanced expressions throughout the film provide the heart of the film. Michael Shannon offers a worthy performance as a frank, grizzled sheriff with little regard for the law. While there are a few extraneous details marring the surface of Ford’s sleek artistry, count this as another masterpiece. “Nocturnal Animals” starts at Midtown Cinema on Dec. 9.
MIDTOWN CINEMA
SPECIAL EVENTS – DECEMBER
The Late Shift with Zeroday
“Die Hard” (1988)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 10:30 p.m.
Down in Front!
“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (1964)
Friday, Dec. 9, 9:30 p.m.
Digital Theatre Series
“War Horse”
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 p.m.
Classic Film Series
“The Bishop’s Wife” (1947)
Sunday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 5, 7 p.vm.
“Christmas in Connecticut” (1945)
Sunday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m.
“White Christmas” (1954)
Sunday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
Monday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 24, 7 p.m.
3rd in the Burg $3 Movie
“A Christmas Story” (1983)
Friday, Dec. 16, 9:30 p.m.
Faulkner Honda Family Film Series
“A Christmas Story” (1983)
Saturday, Dec. 16, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m.
Author: Sammi Leigh Melville
