Movie Title: Nocturnal Animals
Grade: B+
Rating: R, 115 minutes
- In a Nutshell: This disturbing, stylish drama is very cleverly written and unfolds perfectly.
- Tom Ford wrote the screenplay and directed this movie. He is a great storyteller and does an excellent job layering three stories over and under each other. Did you know he got his start as a fashion designer?
Uplifting theme:
- “Do you ever feel like your life has turned into something you never intended?” – Susan Morrow (Amy Adams)
- Regret, emotional scars.
- Believing in someone.
Things I liked:
- I love Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaall in anything. They’re both super talented and deliver fantastic emotional performances.
- You begin to understand the symbolism at the same time Susan does.
- Michael Shannon does a great job as a crusty old cop who is dying physically and emotionally.
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Karl Glusman make you so angry as the sleazy scumbag criminals you want to see get what they deserve.
- I thought the movie poster was really clever.
- As an author, I always enjoy movies about other writers. I would love to have my writing affect a reader so powerfully as Edward’s did on Susan. This is the book the film was based on:
- This film will stay with you. The more you think about it, the more you’ll notice the connecting cues throughout the movie.
Things I didn’t like:
- It annoyed me when Susan described her conservative, religious parents as racist, as if all of those things are naturally connected.
- Some very talented actors had very small parts (Laura Linney, Michael Sheen, Armie Hammer, Jena Malone) and I would have loved to see more of them.
- It’s emotionally very dark.
Interesting lines:
- “Enjoy the absurdity of our world. It’s a lot less painful.” – Carlos (Michael Sheen who has another movie out in theaters right now: Passengers
)
- Susan asks, “Why are you so driven to write?” Edward answers, “I guess it’s a way of keeping things alive. I’m saying things that will eventually die. If I write it down, then it’ll last forever.”
- “My husband used to call me a nocturnal animal.” – Susan
- ‘I’m not scared. I’m unhappy.” – Susan
- “They say we all become our mother.” – Anne Sutton
Funny lines:
- “Do you not trust your nanny?” – Susan
“No, I do. I just hate her.” – (Jena Malone)
Tips for parents:
- This is not a family-friendly movie that children should watch. It is a very dark Rated R film with mature themes.
- Vulgar profanity.
- Discussion and portrayal of a brutal rape attack.
- You see a guy sitting on a toilet naked.
- Abortion, marriage infidelity, illegal activities.
@trinaboice
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