Review of Nocturnal Animals (2016) by Jjj — 22 Sep 2017

This movie is beautifully shot. Amy Adams looks stunning and the acting is all well done. Michael Shannon is exquisite. The story is layered with an intertwining plot, which makes it interesting, while watching it. But the ending leaves you empty and then you realize that the movie is just visuals with a thin storyline. Especially once you realize what's going on. There isn't much there that sticks with you. It's not really a procedural or much of a mystery.

*Spoiler.

The violence, which is projected on the women in the most brutal way, is merely a vehicle with which to showcase the man's pain. Though the violence is symbolic, we still have to watch a frightening lead up to it, with artfully placed dead, nude female bodies and his own brief visualization of a rape. It is supposed to symbolize his own inaction or 'weakness' but I'm not sure what one man can do to protect his wife and daughter with no gun, a flat tire and no cell service against three violent predators in the middle of nowhere. In the end, we are left to determine for ourselves that Edward wrote the book to process his trauma. Sent it to Susan and set up the fake dinner meeting to exact revenge that she chose a conventional life rather than sticking it out with a starving, flailing writer. He may indeed be weak in his need to indulge in this silliness. We know nothing about him otherwise. He isn't really much of a character.