My keen eyesight and acute hearing instinctively became fixated on the tragic beauty of Nocturnal Animals, the latest film written and directed by acclaimed fashion designer Tom Ford. This is his second film since the début of “Single Man”, an amazingly powerful masterpiece that opened in 2009. He came back with a vengeance displaying this intriguing neo-noir psychological thriller based on a book called “Tony and Susan” by Austin Wright (released in 1993).
Each scene seemed to have been carefully styled like an upscale magazine spread. You can see where Tom Ford’s fashion sense inspired the well put together backdrop and foreground settings. You will also be alluded by the detail of suitable clothing that transformed each actor into the skin of their character. It was elegance straight off the pages of Vanity Fair to the casual comfort wear of suburbia. Some of the exterior shots stood out like enchanting landscape postcards. The stunning look of every chosen location contrasted against such a twisted gritty storyline can showcase that things are not always what they seem.
A posh art gallery owner by the name of Susan Marrow (Academy Award nominee Amy Adams) is living a lavish, yet complicated life in L.A. with her second husband. This film begins to take an unsettling ride down a turbulent road when she receives the manuscript to her ex-husband Edward’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) new novel entitled “Nocturnal Animals”. The past and the present becomes active with a dark trail of events that the imagination and reality wrestles with throughout veiled secrets.
Composer Abel Korzeniowski’s soundscape became the essence of yet another Tom Ford collaboration since working on “Single Man” and garnering his first Golden Globe Award nomination. Abel knew exactly how to mesh the most haunting sounds with romantic gestures pushing and pulling amidst this brilliant score.
What a phenomenal star-studded cast that internalized the depth of such intricate roles to reinvent, making it all too real. They made truth and revenge play cat and mouse, while many hills and valleys peeked through every pitch black moment. No wonder Nocturnal Animals has been reaping praise since it premiered at Venice International Film Festival and winning the Grand Jury Prize on September 2, 2016.
The time has come for the rest of the world to witness an old Hollywood suspense that meets a modern indie plot of mystery, digging up buried jewels of deception that will leave you wanting more. “Nocturnal Animals” was released on November 18 by Focus Features in select theaters, and is scheduled to expand November 23rd with a December 9 wide release.
Samantha Hollins, aka Ghetto SongBird, is a multi-talented singer/songwriter, guitarist, poet/writer, photographer and all around creative soul, who passionately enjoys sharing her positive artistic energy and harmonic vibes. You can follow her, and get additional information about her next tour date, on her Facebook page here; and check out her reviews of Ouija: Origin of Evil and Blair Witch right here on MMT!
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