What else could you expect from Tom Ford than something beautiful. The man knows what he is doing when it comes to making beautiful things, films being no exception to that. Nocturnal Animals tells two stories through a dual narrative set in different times and using different characters. The first narrative is from the point of view of Amy Adams, an artist that has issues sleeping. The dual narrative begins when her ex-husband sends her a manuscript of the book he has written and dedicated to her. The second narrative is that of the story the manuscript tells as Adams' character reads it.The film is shocking and heartbreaking. Terrifying and satisfying. The stories combine so beautifully, the matching of imagery between the two narratives is incomparable. It leads the audience to believe something than immediately proves it false.
The performance of Jake Gyllenhaal specifically is mesmerising. Every time I watch a film starring this actor I fall more in love with the way that he performs and takes on his character. Gyllenhaal conveys such strong emotion throughout the entire film, sadly making the performance of Adams slightly less outstanding. However, I don't believe that is her fault, rather than how her character is. Her character is quite bland and unlikeable, which I do believe to be the point. As you feel sympathy for Gyllenhaal's character in both of the narratives even though in the first one he doesn't spend much time on screen.
Overall, this film is a master of cinematography and aesthetic. You know that this is a Tom Ford film if you have seen A Single Man, his only other film. Ford is about aesthetic, you only need to look at his design work to realise that. This film is beautiful, and should be watched by those that really appreciate film in a creative way.
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
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