Jake Gyllenhaal is in my opinion one of the greatest actors working today, his performances in films like Prisoners, Donnie Darko & Zodiac are more than enough proof of that, and this performance is just going to add to that great resume. Lou is a man with no boundaries and isn't afraid to speak his mind and be blunt with people, no matter how rude or disturbing as it may come across, and in a society where we've come to love characters like that (Sherlock, House) it's nice to see a portrayal of someone like that who is legitimately creepy as he should be. In the first scene we see him attack a security guard just so he can steal his watch and from that point on everytime he's alone in a room with someone it becomes the most intense scene of the film, just to be trumped by the next time it happens. Gyllenhaal's physical transformation is commendable as well, while most actors get praise for going through huge physical changes, it's the small things that make this character truly disturbing, rather than be physically anorexic, he's just really skinny with a pale complexion, not to mention long greasy hair and i noticed his character rarely blinks. It's the little things like that, which usually go unnoticed that when put together can really create a character.
As the film goes on and we see Lou get better and better as his job, we also see his mental state getting worse and worse, he even goes as far to tamper with a crime scene, just to make it look more appealing on film. He breaks the law and manipulates his co-workers into getting things right, he comes across as a man who has no empathy for human life and has no boundaries or ethics, if he has to do something morally deplorable in order to get a good shot then he will. This might honestly be my favourite performance from Gyllenhaal and considering his line of work, that is a big statement to say.
Another part of what makes this film so great is the script, the dialogue and interactions between Lou and his co-workers is both disturbing and engaging, you know that if you met someone who spoke like this in real life, you would see them as a monster, just like Lou is here, yet the way he talks and how confident he is in what he's saying, you're hanging on to every word. Everything Lou says, he says to progress in life, to improve his career and his lifestyle, not caring what people think of him or even how it would affect them.
The film is also very well directed, despite having a low budget of only $8 Million, the climax of the movie consisting of a car chase feels epic and grand. Dan Gilroy, the writer & director of the movie was able to take a relatively small story and make it feel larger than life. For a first time director he did an incredible job and I am very much looking forward to seeing what else he does in the future. The pacing of the film is also great, no scene ever drags, nor does it get boring, because Lou is portrayed as such a disturbing character, every scene engaging.
If i were to point out any issues with the movie, I would say maybe the supporting cast don't get much development and the police investigation of Lou was rather overlooked. But honestly those aspects don't really bother me very much because what is given the majority of the focus is incredible, and if I had seen this film when it was first released, then it most definitely would have been in my top 10, hell, it would have been in my top 5.
Because I'm giving Nightcrawler a 9/10.
-Danny
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