Do not be deceived. Under all that, Lou Bloom is an animal.
Dan Gilroy’s 2014 neo-noir film Nightcrawler
is a critical look at contemporary American news through the camera lens of
lead character Louis Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Joining Gyllenhaal on
the ride through the lamp-lit streets of Los Angeles on the hunt for the city’s
worst moments is British actor Riz Ahmed playing the role of unpaid intern Rick
Carey. On the receiving end of Bloom’s nightmare footage is news director Nina
Romina portrayed by the deadly Rene Russo. Rounding out the cast is Bill “Game
Over Man” Paxton as a competing nightcrawler and the first piece of real meat
for Lou to sink his teeth into.
The movie immediately sets the mood, with still, yet haunting, shots of
a Los Angeles evening, setting a stage we would see throughout most of the
film. Gilroy’s script does an equally apt job introducing Gyllenhaal’s
character and instantly informing the audience that there is something off
about him. From his first interaction with another character to his later
business dealings, Louis Bloom is quickly set up as a sleazy and slightly
off-kilter being who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer too easily. Gyllenhaal’s
performance is enhanced by a near unblinking gaze, which after a while becomes
greatly unnerving. The actor adapts a stare that is both dead eyed and yet
hints at a viciousness that comes out in the way he speaks and operates. The
saying that a man’s soul resides in his eyes is very true in this case, since
as the plot progresses, and the audience stares into Bloom’s eyes a bit longer,
a sort of understanding of who this character is, and the terrifying lengths
that he will go to, is born.
Complimenting Bloom is Nina Romina, the woman to whom Bloom sells most
of his footage into the ratings-driven, fear mongering nature of local news. At
one point, she explains to Bloom that what she is after the ‘woman, screaming
and on fire with a slit throat’s variety of footage. Russo does an amazing job
portraying someone who has a deeper understanding of Bloom and often either complements
or hinders him in his progress.
The story is a basic rags-to-riches tale and mostly serves as a sort of Petri
dish, throwing in different situations and adversities and then sitting back
and seeing just how each of the characters, with a specific focus on Lou Bloom,
deals with the presented situation, both physically and morally. In fact, some
of the most interesting and tense moments come from the way Bloom operates at a
crime scene and his reactions to the gruesome things around him.
Overall, while all the cast members do an amazing job and the satire
often hits the mark, a rare feat in some cases, it is Gyllenhaal’s performance
that elevates the movie and enables it to stand apart from everything else
within the genre.
-
Andrew J. Buring, Esq.
