Monday, December 26, 2016

Nocturnal Animals is cleverly written

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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