Nightcrawler is a thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling - where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
The film, set among the rubble and destroyed factories of Stalin's city, is visually stunning. The performances of Law, Harris and Fiennes are excellent, as is that by Bob Hoskins, who plays Joe Stalin's political representative on the scene, Nikita Krushchev.
This is not a full-blown action flick so don't expect car chases and Liam popping off the thugs every ten minutes. It takes it's time and let's the viewer ponder for a slower paced but gritty ride. It does have some violent images and acts that will stick in your head. Liam plays the investigator with cool swagger as he navigates the seedy areas of NY to find two maniac serial killers. If you enjoy the thriller genre or true crime stories you should enjoy Tombstones.
I really liked this film. I have always liked Clive Owen, who put in a terrific performance, but Billy Crudup was very, very good as well. The rest of the cast did well, but the two brothers really shined.
Citizen Kane this ain't, but it's a humorous, campy, tongue-in-cheek homage to the B-movie genre and a perfect example of how to balance humor, horror, and homage. It's the little touches that matter in a movie like this and Zombeavers delivers in spades.
I am giving this 4 stars not because it is an Oscar-worthy masterpiece - it's not. Not because it is the most clever and witty film ever - it's not. This movie gets better with time. Or maybe it just stays the same. I don't know. It is a FUN, silly and whacked out 80s movie. I love it.
For non-stop action and entertainment, you can't beat this movie. There is no way any of it could happen in this world, and probably not in the next one, but it's so much fun that we just suspend belief and go along for the ride.