Review of Nocturnal Animals (2016) by Najd G — 27 Feb 2017

As an unsuccessful writer who's been accused of being weak, overly sensitive, and writing too much about myself, you'd think I'd love this. But with any particularly artistic film, there's a lot to like and a lot to dislike:

I strongly disliked Laura Linney's performance.

I strongly liked Gyllenhaal's.

I didn't like that Gyllenhaal once-again failed to get nominated for a dominating performance.

I liked that Michael Shannon was at least recognized for his.

I didn't like the random political rants on Amy Adams' character's storyline, or really any aspect of her character, especially her notion of what "art" is. That opening scene was one of the most needlessly bizarre openings imaginable, and I hated how it became a distraction to an otherwise solid story.

But I do love how the story ended, and the overall arc was satisfying.