Have you ever reflected on a past romantic relationship, wondering if the hurt you inflicted on someone you claimed to have loved was as cringe-worthy as you remember it? Are you still filled with the same sense of shame thinking about the way things ended? If so, then you might not want to go see the new thriller Nocturnal Animals starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Amy Adams stars as Susan Morrow, a discontented woman who is the curator of a very chic art gallery. It’s safe to say that the opening scene of the movie, which takes place at the gallery, is by far the weirdest opening scene I’ve ever viewed. (I’m still trying to understand if there was any significance to the opening scene other than to make me feel better about my own post-Thanksgiving physique.)
An early edition of a new book arrives unexpectedly at her house, and Susan is surprised that the author, her ex-husband Edward, has dedicated the book to her even though they split twenty years ago. Edward, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, was once the love of her life, but when the two parted ways, they didn’t stay in touch so receiving the book certainly piques her attention.
Edward’s book is entitled Nocturnal Animals, and is a thriller about a father, mother, and daughter, and the intense events that occur as they travel down the lonely roads of West Texas late at night. As Susan begins to read the novel, the movie essentially splits into two stories; one about Susan and her reactions to her ex-husband’s book and the memories it elicits, and the other about the characters in Nocturnal Animals.
It is up to the viewers to draw the parallels between Susan’s memories of her marriage and the intense circumstances that follow an unbelievable case of road rage in Edward’s book. Is the plot of the book connected in any way to how Susan left Edward heartbroken?
I attended the movie with my friend Dani, who at one point in the movie leaned over to whisper, “This is so stressful.” I felt the same way! (Mental note: Never drive in West Texas at night EVER again!)
After the movie was over, Dani and I were talking about it in the lobby when another pair of moviegoers, Debbie and Dick, joined our conversation. Debbie shared, “I thought it was beautifully filmed, although I don’t know if I loved the story.” She explained her understanding of the title of the book with its vicious antagonists to how it related to Susan, who was strong, but not necessarily in a good way. Dick said, “I thought it was really well acted,” and added that he was not surprised by the ending. “She gets her just desserts at the end,” he summarized. (I promise that’s not in any way spoiling the ending.)
As the four of us held our own little movie discussion group, we discovered that one significant scene was not interpreted the same way by all four of us. As I shared what I thought a particular scene meant, Debbie’s jaw dropped. “I thought that was part of the book not part of Susan’s story. Of course,” she exclaimed. Dick countered that the scene in question might be related to her second marriage though, bewildering us all once again.
Dani concluded, “It’s not for everyone.” My overall opinion is that if you take the time to go see this, pay close attention, especially because Jake Gyllenhaal not only stars as Amy Adams’ ex-husband Edward Sheffield, but he also plays the lead character of the book Nocturnal Animals, Tony Hastings. Even if you don’t love this movie, you’ll agree that the format is indeed unique, and you’ll most likely be left pondering certain parts of the movie just like we did.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director: Tom Ford
Actors: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Rating: R for violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language
Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
