Gyllenhaal Continues to Impress in “Nightcrawler”

There’s a moral vacuum where Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is concerned and over the course of this gripping film we see how deep the void within him really is.  Upon first meeting him, we see him steal a wristwatch from a security guard and it soon becomes apparent that he also filches cooper and other valuable metals for resale to scrap yards. However, one night he finds his true calling when driving along the highway.  An accident has occurred and Bloom pulls over to observe two police officers pull an unconscious woman from a burning wreck. Two independent videographers take footage of the incident and when he sees what they’ve filmed on the news later that morning he knows what to do with his life.

Gyllenhaal continues to be the most daring actor working in film today, bringing an unsettling sense of self-delusion and menace to Bloom, a man who lives in a world of his own, because that which he’s been born into has rejected him. Comparisons to Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver are inescapable and the actor makes certain not to mimic DeNiro’s iconic performance but cuts a distinctive path all his own, as he makes Bloom a subtle predator, a scavenger of human misfortune whose lack of morality is not as disturbing as it once was because it’s become more widespread. Gyllenhaal is scary here but you can’t take your eyes off of him, much like the horrific footage his character captures and sells.  In not being able to look away from what he panders, we encourage people like Bloom, making us the worst sort of enabler.

For a full review, go to: http://illinoistimes.com/blog-14682-gyllenhaal-continues-to-impress-in-nightcrawler.html