Film discussion: Nocturnal Animals

January 30, 2017
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So, when I saw in the MPAA rating for Nocturnal Animals, I must admit that I was intrigued. Here’s what it said:

MPAA Rating: R (for violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language)

La, I said, how jolly!

And when you add in the film’s credentials, it looks even better.

  • This is the second film by fashion designer Tom Ford, whose debut was 2009’s A Single Man.
  • Nocturnal Animals stars Amy Adams, one performer whose name on the credits usually doubles my eagerness to see a film.
  • The film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor who is making a heck of a reputation for playing characters who are driven a little too far in one direction or another. Right now, he’s angling at becoming his generation’s Christopher Walken.
  • The film features an Oscar-nominated performance by Michael Shannon (Supporting Actor).

That ought to just about do it, I think. I’m told that I should also issue a trigger warning for those among you who don’t fancy all the stuff in the MPAA rating, i.e. violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language. (Although I’m also told that the “graphic nudity” isn’t of a sexual nature.)

I’m looking forward to it, especially after a string of headlines that make me want to consider the efficacy and rewards of violence, as opposed to quiet reflection on the plight of our melancholy world. Gotta keep some balance, after all, right?

I hope to see you there, which will be immediately after the showing of the film (start time is 7:00) in The Historic Theater. This should be fun.

And just so you can tap these dates into your mobile device, the films that will be discussed in February are Elle on Tuesday, Feb. 14 (a rape/revenge film is always a lovely way to spend Valentine’s Day!). Then comes Julieta (Almodovar!) on February 21 and Toni Erdmann (Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film) on February 28.