Nocturnal Animals (2016)
A movie directed by Tom Ford which brilliantly parallels our protagonist’s mundane life with an exciting revenge thriller. I enjoyed this movie but found that it lacked in major areas. The contrast between the exciting revenge thriller and our protagonist’s actual reality creates a sense of discontinuity as it draws away from what is real and adds less emphasis to the thriller that unfolds.
Nocturnal Animals is an incredibly meticulous and stylish movie. The cinematography is dynamic, as the reality of the story uses lots of black and white colors, with strong contrasts and dark hues that foreshadow existential dread. The thriller, on the other hand, is filled with vibrant colors. Reality is dark and grimacing with strong use of the color red or burgundy. Scenes beautifully cut from the book into reality.
The premise is incredibly unique as Tom Ford crafts two entirely different worlds yet are fully able to illustrate the purpose and direction of both. We are introduced to Susan (Amy Adams), an art dealer stuck in a loveless marriage in which her husband commits adultery. Susan is unfulfilled by her life, no longer finding substance in the work she does. She receives a book from her ex-boyfriend (Jake Gyllenhaal). The book appears to be a run of the mill revenge story. The brilliance is what the book represents. The plot is simple, Edward Sheffield, a school teacher, and his family go on vacation only to get pulled off the highway by several men who then kidnap his wife and daughter. He escapes but only to find, several days later, that his spouse and daughter have both been raped and killed. The story then unfolds into a revenge story. Yet, what I appreciate the most about this revenge story is that Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) isn't a sudden badass but a realistic school teacher far out of his depth. He's terrified of the men who hurt his family and can barely pull the trigger.
One scene stands out amongst the rest in Nocturnal Animals; when Jake Gyllenhaal confronts the man who killed and rapes his wife. Edward knows the man did it and can see the smirk beneath the false sincerity. He breaks down and what results is a brilliantly acted moment from Gyllenhaal. We see how truly scared and broken Sheffield is.
The parallels in both the story she reads and reality are clear and as the audience slowly advances through the movie. It's revealed what happened between Susan and Tony (Gyllenhaal) yet Ford doesn't tell the audience everything, we are left to figure out what each character represents. Sheffield represents Tony, this is obvious as Gyllenhaal plays both. Sheffield's wife and daughter represent Susan, evident in their red hair. The men who rape Edward's wife and daughter represent the man Susan cheated on him with, and the death of Edward's daughter is the abortion she had.
Revenge is the strongest theme throughout Nocturnal Animals. It is prominent in the book and evident in her life. Revenge is what fuels Edward's character in the book and what fuels him in reality as well. When Susan first receives Tony's manuscript, she gets a paper-cut symbolizing Tony's first act of revenge. The name of the book itself is called Nocturnal Animals which is what Tony used to call Susan. There are two interesting endings for this movie. In the book that Susan reads, it ends with Edward killing the rapist before lying facedown and accidentally shooting himself in the stomach. The actual film ends with Susan attempting to reconcile with Tony, who in his final act of revenge stands her up. He is saying the person he once was is dead and ultimately stealing her final chance of hope.
On the subject of revenge, many movies use revenge as a motive for the protagonist. In this movie, the opposite is done. Our protagonist is one in which revenge is acted upon them. This reversal of the revenge trope makes Nocturnal Animals a stark contrast to an average revenge or action film. My primary issue with Nocturnal Animals is that it is incredibly messy at times and the cuts between book and reality can confuse viewers at times. I didn't love Nocturnal Animals, but I am glad I watched it. It's an incredibly unique film in every aspect and leaves the viewer with an appropriate amount of questions.
The premise is incredibly unique as Tom Ford crafts two entirely different worlds yet are fully able to illustrate the purpose and direction of both. We are introduced to Susan (Amy Adams), an art dealer stuck in a loveless marriage in which her husband commits adultery. Susan is unfulfilled by her life, no longer finding substance in the work she does. She receives a book from her ex-boyfriend (Jake Gyllenhaal). The book appears to be a run of the mill revenge story. The brilliance is what the book represents. The plot is simple, Edward Sheffield, a school teacher, and his family go on vacation only to get pulled off the highway by several men who then kidnap his wife and daughter. He escapes but only to find, several days later, that his spouse and daughter have both been raped and killed. The story then unfolds into a revenge story. Yet, what I appreciate the most about this revenge story is that Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) isn't a sudden badass but a realistic school teacher far out of his depth. He's terrified of the men who hurt his family and can barely pull the trigger.
One scene stands out amongst the rest in Nocturnal Animals; when Jake Gyllenhaal confronts the man who killed and rapes his wife. Edward knows the man did it and can see the smirk beneath the false sincerity. He breaks down and what results is a brilliantly acted moment from Gyllenhaal. We see how truly scared and broken Sheffield is.
The parallels in both the story she reads and reality are clear and as the audience slowly advances through the movie. It's revealed what happened between Susan and Tony (Gyllenhaal) yet Ford doesn't tell the audience everything, we are left to figure out what each character represents. Sheffield represents Tony, this is obvious as Gyllenhaal plays both. Sheffield's wife and daughter represent Susan, evident in their red hair. The men who rape Edward's wife and daughter represent the man Susan cheated on him with, and the death of Edward's daughter is the abortion she had.
Revenge is the strongest theme throughout Nocturnal Animals. It is prominent in the book and evident in her life. Revenge is what fuels Edward's character in the book and what fuels him in reality as well. When Susan first receives Tony's manuscript, she gets a paper-cut symbolizing Tony's first act of revenge. The name of the book itself is called Nocturnal Animals which is what Tony used to call Susan. There are two interesting endings for this movie. In the book that Susan reads, it ends with Edward killing the rapist before lying facedown and accidentally shooting himself in the stomach. The actual film ends with Susan attempting to reconcile with Tony, who in his final act of revenge stands her up. He is saying the person he once was is dead and ultimately stealing her final chance of hope.
On the subject of revenge, many movies use revenge as a motive for the protagonist. In this movie, the opposite is done. Our protagonist is one in which revenge is acted upon them. This reversal of the revenge trope makes Nocturnal Animals a stark contrast to an average revenge or action film. My primary issue with Nocturnal Animals is that it is incredibly messy at times and the cuts between book and reality can confuse viewers at times. I didn't love Nocturnal Animals, but I am glad I watched it. It's an incredibly unique film in every aspect and leaves the viewer with an appropriate amount of questions.
- GL
7 / 10
(Above) My favourite shot:
(Below) Runners-up:
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