Nightcrawler (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 117 minutes
Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed

Nightcrawler is now showing in Australian cinemas and is distributed by Madman Films. Now showing in the United States and United Kingdom.

Intriguing and incredibly unique, Nightcrawler is a brilliant portrait of the modern world of crime journalism and of a memorable but disturbing character by the name of Lou Bloom. With its highly intelligent and well written screenplay, Dan Gilroy's film is incredibly unpredictable and suspenseful and captures the atmosphere of the crime climate of Los Angeles, but still manages to do so in a tasteful and captivating fashion. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an absolutely superb performance of one of the unsettling characters you find creeping around Los Angeles in the night. Nightcrawler is clearly one of the best, if not the best psychological thriller of the year.

 In his own words, Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a hard worker, sets goals high and is persistent. He is all these things, but he is also a mysterious and unnerving individual who has the power to make those around him believe and do whatever he wants. While seeking a new job for himself, he stumbles onto the world of crime journalism quite by accident and sets his sights on making sure he becomes the first on the scene of crimes across the city of Los Angeles. He teams up with Nina (Rene Russo), a TV news worker who embraces Lou's exclusive video footage as it gives her channel an advantage over rival news stations. It isn't long until Lou starts to realise that in order to get to the top, he needs to have some control over the world he is reporting on.

Nightcrawler is a brilliantly written and unique piece of work. It is extremely modern in it's concept as it paints an intriguing, but bleak and disturbing picture of the nature and changing face of news journalism. While the sly Lou Bloom convinces those around him that he is freelance, his lucky break comes at the hands of the relatively new concept of citizen journalism. In this age of technology where virtually everyone has access to the tools traditionally used by trained individuals to distribute news, anyone can report as the professionals do. Citizen journalism extends to individuals capturing events as they happen on their mobile phones and that footage being broadcast due to it's exclusiveness and speed. This is where Lou's adventure in crime journalism begins and with his skills of persuasiveness allows people in powerful positions to believe that he is in fact a professional rather than someone who has only decided to take up this business as a result of being out of a job and looking to make a quick dollar. He purchases a camera and mimics what he sees other crime journalists do, but also constructs the elements to make things go his way. Although Nina and her co-workers are unaware of who Lou actually is and that he is only freelance in speech to begin with, this presents one of the complexities of citizen journalism which is that its accuracy can sometimes be questioned as it is not completed by a professional.

The question of ethics in news journalism certainly also comes into play during Nightcrawler. The way the news team in the film approach the video footage which they broadcast is purely to do with how much they can show without getting sued. Their aim is to do whatever they can to beat out their rival news programs and empathy for those who are in or directly affected by the footage is non existent. Their boundaries are defined by what they are legally bound by and they relish finding loopholes in these formalities, while humanity plays very little part when working to win ratings.

Nightcrawler brings to light the ugly side of crime journalism, a concept which is traditionally not a pretty one to begin with. The film itself is driven by the startling high crime rate of present day Los Angeles, which is a feature of the city that Lou and crime journalists strive in as it is good for business. Even though the story focuses on this unattractive part of the City of Angels, the way it is depicted visually is rather exquisite. The opening sequence of the film features some of Los Angeles landmarks which are not usually associated with pop culture, but are familiar to those living in the city and are beautifully shot. For a film which is shot more at night than during the daytime, the use of colour is entrancing. The cinematography is really something special as the film calls for so much variety in the way it is shot due to it's changing pace and constant intrigue.

Jake Gyllenhaal is nightcrawler Lou Bloom in every way. Lou Bloom is an extremely complex and wildly intriguing character with psychopathic tendencies and Gyllenhaal portrays him with perfection. The film doesn't give away much about his past, but it doesn't need to as there is a strange comfort to knowing who he is only in the present. He isn't a particularly likable character, yet the audience forms a connection with him based on his intrigue and unpredictability. Gyllenhaal is truly magnificent in this role and completely embodies the creepy and manipulative Lou Bloom.

Riz Ahmed, who plays Lou's reluctant sidekick Rick, is also fantastic and connects with the audience on a more sympathetic level than Lou. Rick is a man who has made the wrong choices in life, but is trying to set things right only to find that it is not as easy as he thought, especially with a boss like Lou. He is a great deal more likable than Lou and there is a longing for him to be the hero of the story. Ahmed is believable and again, capable of evoking a great deal of sympathy. Rene Russo also does well as Nina, who is clearly struggling to maintain her strength in order to get where she wants to be.

Nightcrawler is as unsettling as it's name suggests, but in the best possible way. An exciting and suspenseful journey which makes you ponder how far people will really go for what they want.

9/10

"Boyhood:Twelve Years on Film" book review

Photographer: Matt Lankes
Contributions: Richard Linklater, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Matt Lankes
Pages: 200
Publisher: University of Texas Press

To purchase Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film, please visit University of Texas Press.

Richard Linklater's Boyhood was released earlier this year to universal praise for it's ground-breaking mode of production and ability to capture the true essence of growing up. "Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film" could be seen as an essential companion for all those who were deeply moved by the film, but it is so much more than that. The book is a true work of art within itself which captures in photography what Boyhood captures on film, which is the cast as their characters growing up in front of the camera and a story being told through Matt Lankes exquisite photography.

Boyhood was shot over a period of twelve years chronicling the life of young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from when he was five years old till he turned eighteen and left home to attend college. The cast and crew shot the film for a period of two weeks in each of these twelve years and Texan photographer, Matt Lankes was on hand to capture stills from the film and behind the scenes, as well as take portraits of Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Richard Linklater and the rest of the cast and crew.

"Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film" captures the process of growing up in a series of photographs taken over the period of twelve years, as well as providing visual documentation of the making of Linklater's film. The black and white photographs taken by Lankes are not only beautiful, but also quite haunting in the way they capture the character as they were in that moment. The cover photo of Mason as he appeared at the beginning of the film is filled with the innocence, while the final photo on the back cover shows a more worldly Mason at the age of eighteen. The series of portraits of each of the main characters show the process of how each evolved into who they become at the end of the film and tell a story about who they were at that exact moment in each portrait. It is true artistry for a portrait to be able to capture so much and also a testament to each of the cast for being able to portray their character so well in just one shot. The colour stills from behind the scenes are also intriguing, fun and well shot.

The photographs are accompanied by written contributions from Coltrane, Hawke, Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, Richard Linklater, producer Cathleen Sutherland and Lankes himself. Each writes a few words on their experience making the film and their understanding of their character. Unlike a typical film companion where a film's cast and crew give a step by step recount of their experience on set, the words the cast and crew have taken to describe their experiences are incredibly deep and heartfelt. Patricia Arquette in particular contributes a lengthy, but wonderful account of what her character and other characters in the film meant to her. Lorelei Linklater's contribution is rather short, but expresses how much the experience meant and for that reason she struggles to put it into words because of it's importance.

"Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film" is by no means the traditional film companion, but even if one was to expect this there would be only pleasant surprise. It is a celebration of life in art and an exquisite keepsake for Boyhood admirers.

9.5/10

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 123 minutes
Director: Francis Lawrence
Writers: Suzanne Collins (based on the novel by), Peter Craig and Danny Strong (screenplay)
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Sam Claflin, Natalie Dormer, Jena Malone

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 will be released in Australian cinemas on November 20 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. To be released in the United States on November 21 and the United Kingdom November 20.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 takes place in the days following the dramatic finale of The Hunger Games in which Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was rescued and taken to the once thought destroyed, District 13. While Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) expect Katniss to be grateful for her rescue, all she can think of is how Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is now in The Capitol as a hostage and must be rescued. They inform her that they wish to make her the Mockingjay, the face of the rebellion against the Capitol to free the people of Panem. Katniss is hesitant at first, until she sees the destruction of her home, District 12 and agrees to become the Mockingjay with the condition that the victors being held hostage are brought to District 13.

Unlike the first two films in The Hunger Games franchise, Mockingjay- Part 1 has lacked the excitement and feeling of importance in the lead up that one feels it should possess to maintain the enthusiasm for the phenomenon. Making the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy written by Suzanne Collins into two separate films was always going to be problematic from a narrative and excitement point of view as it is only the half telling of the explosive final book. As the third but not final film in the series, the release of Mockingjay- Part 1 isn't as anticipated as the first and second films and without a doubt as the final film to be released late 2015 will be. The initial The Hunger Games film was highly anticipated as the popular and much loved novel was being introduced to the screen, as was Catching Fire because of the pressure to maintain the high standards set by the first film and the finale is always awaited for the obvious reasons.

What this has meant for the film is that it was going to have to be something truly special to prove that just because it is only half of the finale, it deserves as much love as every other film in the franchise. The verdict is that Mockingjay-Part 1 is a fine film, but still has the resonating feeling that it is a bridge rather than an island. It merely feels as though it is connecting Catching Fire and Mockingjay- Part 2 rather than it being a film that could stand alone if it wanted to. This was an inevitable problem of the final book being split into two and one that was always going to be an enormous challenge to overcome. However, it is easily recognised that Mockingjay would have either been incredibly rushed or at a running time of close to four hours had it been one film so the idea of having a two film finale cannot quickly be dismissed as a negative. Writers, Peter Craig and Danny Strong have done a fine job of fleshing out the right aspects of the book for the film and have left the story hanging promptly for the final film.

Mockingjay- Part 1 has a rather different feel to it than the first two films as Mockingjay is more about the aftermath of The Hunger Games rather than the games themselves.  The film gives an accurate depiction of the hardships inflicted on civilians by warfare and of the creation of hope in such times. The visuals of the destroyed District 8 and 12 are incredibly moving, but they are also a spectacular CGI creation. The action that ensues is brief, but well constructed and suspenseful. The film also does a wonderful job at demonstrating how hope is built in such a time, which includes an interesting insight into the creation of propaganda. The process can almost seem comical at times, but the end result is one of the utmost sincerity. The scene in which Katniss sings "The Hanging Tree" is a beautiful, peaceful moment in the film and the musical score throughout the whole film is quite beautiful.

In Jennifer Lawrence's third outing as Katniss Everdeen, she proves that she has not lost momentum with the character and that she is growing with her. From the opening moments of Mockingjay-Part 1, Lawrence once again gives a wonderful performance as a character who has trouble relating to most people as a result of the hardships she has been through and has incredibly complex internal battles taking place. It is a rather solemn and cheerless performance, which is exactly what the film calls for.

Mockingjay-Part 1 has an incredible cast and the majority do a wonderful job. Josh Hutcherson is on screen for a very short amount of time in comparison to his co-stars, but makes a great impact with the time he has. Liam Hemsworth, on the other hand, doesn't give much in his performance, which is surprising as he has a great deal to do in the film.

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket gives a performance quite unlike that of the past Hunger Games films. As times have changed, Effie doesn't seem to be the same woman she was as she has been deprived of her luxurious clothes and make-up. However, Banks proves that it is not the clothes that make the character as she is still the complete embodiment of the eccentric Effie in manner and posture even when wearing the plainest of outfits. Natalie Dormer as Cressida becomes a character quite unlike those she has been known to play and proves her versatility as an actor.Donald Sutherland is the perfect brand of evil as President Snow and one looks forward to seeing a great deal more of him in Mockingjay-Part 2.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 is placed in an interesting situation in relation to the other films in it's series. It's anticipation isn't as great as it's place and existence ensures that it will not be the strongest nor most entertaining film of the franchise, which is proven to be true. However, the subject material is fleshed out as much as it can be and what the film does well, it does very well.

7/10