Review of Nocturnal Animals (2016) by Andy W — 01 Jan 2017

So every once in a while a movie comes a long that's on your radar but not one that's at the top of the list, then when you finally watch it it slaps you around the face, in a good way and leaves you with a huge grin. That's 'Nocturnal Animals' from ex Fashion designer and now film maker, Tom Ford.

Now I'm not going to give too much away but holy shit I loved how this film unfolded and played out. Essentially art director Amy Adams receives a novel from her ex husband, it's dedicated to her and called 'Nocturnal Animals'. As she reads it, the violent story plays out on screen as a main narrative while bouncing back and forth with the secondary story involving the relationship between Adams and her ex husband played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who also plays the main character from the novel plot line. Sounds confusing but it's not.

It's stylish, beautifully shot and fairly violent. The first act really got to me and I really felt for the characters and the unfortunate and frightening circumstance in which they found themselves. It's very well acted and I wouldn't be surprised if we see some Oscar nominations come from this one especially in the supporting role categories. Director Tom Ford does an excellent job telling a story, within a story, all the while mixing in present and flashback material. This film could've got lost in some serious artsy kind of way, but I'm so glad that it didn't. Adams once again looks amazing and my love for her has gone up a level, redeeming herself from her lacklustre roll in the recent film 'Arrival'. It might not be to everyone's taste but I really loved it.

Supporting cast included Michael Shannon and Aron Taylor-Johnson.