Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • November 12, 2014 ‘Nightcrawler’ portrays ambitious, sociopathic loner by Dennis Seuling “Nightcrawler” is a film about the marginal types who come alive at night to earn their living off others’ misery. No, they’re not vampires. They are guys with police scan- ners and digital cameras who wait for reports of murder, fire, automobile accidents, or other human misfortune, and then rush to the scene, camera at the ready, to shoot lurid video and sell it to local network news programs for big bucks. Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a petty thief whose attempts to find honest work have failed. Stopping by a freeway accident one night, he sees an independent video crew photographing the event, asks a few questions of the two-man team, and becomes convinced that this is the job for him. He obtains an inexpensive camera and takes on an “intern,” Rick (Riz Ahmed) to help on his late night quests. Bloom plays up the position and the career oppor- tunities awaiting Rick, and Rick agrees to assist at a low per-night dollar amount. Bloom develops a relationship with Nina Romina (Rene Russo), the news director at the lowest-rated local news program in Los Angeles. She likes the often grisly foot- age he brings her and, always ratings-conscious, is willing to pay well for it. Bloom’s ability to deliver such footage coincides with the station’s desperate need to attract a larger audience. As Bloom improves his equipment and learns about better camera angles, he begins to choreograph crime scenes to his advan- tage. He will move a body to get a better shot, and tail wanted criminals so they can be apprehended in a setting that would be more dramatic for television. He is not merely ambitious. He just might be sociopathic. He is a loner who regards bodies as important ingre- dients for footage he can sell. He expresses little human concern for others’ suffering, misfortune, and even death. But he doesn’t cross the line until, instead of merely covering the news, he decides to create it. In Bloom, writer/ director Dan Gilroy has fashioned a central char- acter reminiscent of Travis Bickle (“Taxi Driver”) and Rupert Pupkin (“King of Comedy”). All are Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) obsessed in some disturb- crawler.’ ing way. With Bloom, it’s bloody footage. He equates his worth as a person with the footage he takes. After a while, payment is not enough. He wants recognition, introductions to station personnel, and a relationship with Nina that goes beyond the profes- sional. Gyllenhaal turns in a cold, distant performance as Bloom. Viewers seldom see the character in the daytime, which is when he says he is in front of the computer learn- ing about business plans, motivational techniques, and rising up the ladder of success. When Bloom speaks, he sounds like a self-help book, but it is clear he believes what he is saying and takes everything literally. What is missing from his character is humanity. Oh, he will smile, but it is the kind of smile that how- to books suggest for making useful business connections. He is first depicted stealing metal fencing and expensive bicycles, indicating his lack of a moral core. When he gets seeks out late-night accidents and crime scenes in ‘Night- into the business of shooting crime scene footage, he is just as amoral, thinking only of how he can enhance the value of the footage he will attempt to sell. Russo plays a tough businesswoman who finds her- self in a difficult position. Nina’s job security strengthens with each piece of grim footage she airs, but when Bloom lays out what he would like their relationship to be, she is caught between personal life and career, with Bloom suc- cessfully and creepily jockeying himself into both. “Nightcrawler” is aptly named. The movie focuses on a job many people would regard as distasteful and exploit- ative. Bloom makes his livelihood from these people. The greater the misfortune, the more TV-friendly it is, and the greater profit to be made. Rated R for graphic violence and strong language, “Nightcrawler” takes the viewer to a world of the unglam- orous, the pathetic, and the violent.