Tom Ford is a well-known fashion designer of our times owning a self-titled luxury brand. As much as he has proven his excellence and ever-present aesthetic sense in the fashion industry, he brings the same quality in his feature films. “Nocturnal Animals,” his second feature film, tells the story of revenge and utter brutality, and also of evanescent emotions. The film’s entry scene shows us a nude, obese woman dancing in quite a convoluted manner. As impenetrable the scene is, it shows us what we might be experiencing in next couple hours.
“Nocturnal Animals” is the tale of an LA art gallery owner, Susan Morrow (Amy Adams). She is successful and happy; but only in the outside, as she is constantly reprimanded by her guilty past and insomniac present. As the story unfolds, she is gifted a manuscript by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), which tells the story which may be far too harrowing for the faint hearted. As Susan’s present life and the story of the novel is shown in parallel, we also catch a glimpse of Susan and Edward’s happier past: how they transformed from childhood crushes to a married couple. It might seem a tough task on paper, but it is nicely done by Mr. Ford.
The book of Edward is quite a reflection of its writer’s life. Mr. Hastings, also played by Gyllenhaal, takes his family up for a vacation. As they travel through the west Texas freeway, thugs confront them, who end up doing dreadful damage to the family. It’s violent and grim, and more frightful than any horror movie—but it’s not typically what we see in action movies. And that’s how Tom Ford shows his excellence. He has created a movie that is as horrendous as possible, but you just can’t close your eyes, even though you pray you could.
The technical team of the movie hits it out of the park with their jobs. Seamus McGarvey, the cinematographer, captures the desert barren lands of Texas in a way that helps us become glued to the film, and Joan Sobel, as an editor, has done one of his best works here. Every scene of the film has a discerning vibe: from the shining art gallery to the attire of the characters, and, prominently, that of Susan.
In a movie where technical masterpieces prevail, it is sometimes, harder for the actors to outweigh the glimmers. But in “Nocturnal Animals,” the cast and crew are amazing, to say the least. Jake Gyllenhaal once again proves why he is such a worthy presence, and how underrated in Hollywood he is. He is utterly magnificent here. There is one particular scene, where he breaks down when knowing what his family had to encounter. Seeing it makes one wonder why he did not get an Oscar nomination.
But Michael Shannon got one, and deservingly so. His portrayal of detective Bobby Andes is powerful and robust. It is, without any doubt, one of his very best. Laura Linney, as the harridan mom of Susan, gets just one particular scene. Its but three minutes in length, but the way Laura performs it is just bewildering. On the other, Amy Adams does fall back in line. She does perform badly, but she also could not make the film her own, which she could have given stronger screen presence. Other characters are also astounding in their own way.
All in all, “Nocturnal Animals” is a harrowing tale, along with being a tale of revenge and retribution with actors all in their prime. If you love thrillers and are not faint of heart, give it a try. It is worth it.
*”Nocturnal Animals” is currently available to stream on most platforms.
