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Nocturnal Animals (2016)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) is a famous artist who suffers from insomnia but soon her past is about to haunt her. One day she receives a novel from her ex-husband and as she begins to read it she sees it at his attempt at revenge for what she did to him.

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS comes from writer-director Tom Ford and it's certainly going to be a film that people are going to love or hate. There's quite a bit going on in this thriller as there are several story lines going on at the same time and it's never quite clear what exactly is going on. Throughout the movie we see Adams' character reading this novel and as she reads it we see a second story dealing with a man (Jake Gyllenhaal), his wife and their young daughter who are driven off the road by three men. Soon the man is separated and must try to find out what happened to them with the help of a detective (Michael Shannon).

Is this backstory telling what happened between the artist and her ex-husband? Or is there more to it? As all of this is going on we also catch the story of how the two met and what caused them to be married. All of this stuff is held together so perfectly that you almost feel that if one single item was out of place or didn't fit in the end then the entire story would fall apart. The screenplay is an extremely smart one that perfectly goes back and forth between the stories and thankfully the viewer never gets lost. Even better is the fact that the story dealing with the husband and his family is extremely intense and really packs a punch.

The film also has a terrific cast and this certainly helps everything. Adams has several different emotions to play and she once again delivers a very good performance. Gyllenhaal turns in one of the best performances of his career as the rather weak husband who never seems to do the right thing. I really enjoyed the weakness that the actor played as well as the rage as the film went along. Then there's Michael Shannon who once again delivers a masterful performance as the detective with nothing to lose. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Laura Linney and Michael Sheen are also good in their bit parts.

As I said, I'm sure many people are going to watch this and hate everything that happens and especially the ending. I really think this is a wonderful intelligent little gem that certainly makes you think and leaves you wondering long after it is over.

You have to watch this movie without thinking it's going to follow a stereo typical Hollywood pattern. It that really has a darkened effect on the audience and Ford has done an excellent job at attacking the mind

Tom Ford's first film since 'A Single Man' is another winner, an ambitious high-wire noir thriller with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal in an explosive tale of love, violence, and revenge.

That's some terrifying stuff right there! Fashion designer Tom Ford has written and directed his second movie, a multifaceted revenge thriller which is even better than his first, 2009's "A Single Man".

Both are visually stylish, of course, which is expected from fashion guru, both have interesting premise and good actors, and both have this cold, unsettling atmosphere which tries to keep the viewer at some distance.

In short, Ford has managed to take everything good from his solid debut project and bring it to the next level with "Nocturnal Animals". It's more lively, gripping, effortlessly cool and deeper.

There are two stories, interwined in a way which may make viewers wonder whether it's real or imagined by the character. But it is ambiguous in a best possible way, not trying to f--k with our minds and then leave us hanging.

An unhappily married woman (Amy Adams) thinks she wants his first husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) back. And she reads his novel, a violent thriller, which seems like a revenge tale. And then things get more, er, complex.

On-screen events are exciting already but Ford the writer turns out surprisingly skillful at making it even varied, without getting stuck or losing steam, or letting us think that we know where all this ends up. He even playfully takes jabs at his main fashion job and the lifestyle and personal sacrifices that come with it.

And the whole result really makes you feel something for the characters, unlike many of the thrillers that only manage to arouse the viewer during their best bits.

It's not mostly about Adams and Gyllenhaal. There is a number of smaller but important characters and cool performances. We have Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Michael Sheen, Laura Linney.

The cast is good enough reason to watch it. Everybody adds something worthwhile to the experience, even Sheen and Fisher and especially Linney who all have rather small roles used to move the story along.

Shannon brings his usual magnetic mix of cool and creepy. Gyllenhaal manages to move between having balls and ball-less state without turning unbelievable or too heroic. Taylor-Johnson as the bad guy even got a Golden Globe for his work (the only one for the movie although Tom Ford got nominated for both best movie / drama and adapted screenplay). He really deserves it, he is evil at its most subtle and delicious. Delicious to watch, I mean.

But I am especially happy about Amy Adams who is often used in the movies as just a pretty face or supporting woman. In 2016, she has had two strong roles, in a thinking man's sci-fi "Arrival", and now this.

Her screen time may be limited but she surely makes the most of it, captivatingly playing out both worlds that the character has hiding inside her. I believed her both as a lively young woman and the jaded older one that's missing all the ideals that she had decided to throw away long time ago.

Based on a novel by Austin Wright which Ford wanted to adapt into two movies initially, one true to original, the other not so much. I am not sure which way he chose ultimately but what a ride, eh?

PS No, I am not giving 9 out of 10 to every movie I watch from now on. The last three have been just some of 2016's best of the best.

So I just Finished Nocturnal Animals and to put as bluntly as possible I absolutely loved it and it might end up being one of my top 10 favorite movie of the year. Well it's basically two movies in one. One half appeals to my lust for grim blood soaked, dark genre fare while the other half plays like an interpersonal glossy drama that's just as compelling. Both feel as if they could hold entire films in their own right and grabbed me till the very end. It's much better if you go in cold so I won't really say much more but if you love a good thriller, crime drama or just good film making in general and it's playing near you please do yourself a favor and let Mr Tom Ford take you on a trip through some movie magic.