Night terrors

Tom Ford’s ‘Nocturnal Animals’ is by turns powerful, cruel, ridiculous

I doubt anyone was expecting designer/director Tom Ford’s sophomore film to become a resonate, unsettling parable for Blue State elites, but now with the surprise reality of President Donald J. Trump, well, that’s basically what it’s become. 

“Nocturnal Animals” is a horror movie for voters who were with her. 

This dark fable’s victims are white wealthy progressives. Terror is wrought upon them by conservatives, both rich and poor, who make the world a very ugly place. The further outside the blue bubble a liberal gets, the more dangerous the country becomes—especially on late night stretches of highway in rural West Texas.

Viewers panicking over the implications of our country’s election may watch this and tremble, thinking, “Welcome to Trump’s America.”

That said, one need not lean left to find “Nocturnal Animals” very disturbing. It’s hard to recall the last time such a serious piece of filmmaking was this psychologically sadistic. I’d hesitate to recommend it to anyone beyond the most devout cinephile, because who’d wish such cruelty on a friend? Yet, I can’t deny it’s a powerful experience that’s impossible to shake. With only his second film (after his 2009 debut, “A Single Man”), Tom Ford wields a power that few directors working today are able to match.

The narrative has a story-within-a-story construct. It shifts back and forth between art gallery owner Susan (Amy Adams) as she reads a novel manuscript written by her ex-husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal, doing some of his career-best work), and an actual dramatization of his southern gothic prose. 

The book is a sordid, violent crime noir that, while fictional, works as a masochistic metaphor about the breakdown of Edward and Susan’s marriage. However, for as abused as Susan’s avatar is in the tale, it’s clear she’s the one who feels responsible for the real-life breakup. And despite his not-so-passive aggressive parallels, Edward also carries guilt of not having protected what they had. 

There’s a lot of agony here, both physical and mental, doled out on the vulnerable with perverse brutality. It’s viscerally provocative but thematically thin, despite the script’s dual layers. It hits us squarely in the gut without ever connecting to the head or heart, occasionally insulting the former before torturing the latter.

On its aesthetic surface, “Nocturnal Animals” plays like a fashion commercial directed by Hitchcock, or a more meticulously tailored atmosphere of Pedro Almodóvar’s pulpy melodramas. When it’s not churning your stomach it slips into self-parody, with soap opera dialogue spoken in philosophical whispers; the bizarre opening sequence is hard to take seriously, too. Ford’s style is gorgeous, sumptuous, and downright immaculate, but at times his instincts veer toward the ridiculous.

If there’s a consistent lodestar in this nihilistic madness it’s Michael Shannon, who plays an investigating sheriff in Edward’s novel. He’s a man facing mortality with nothing to lose, vendettas to square, and a vigilante streak just itching to mete out some justice. It’s the ultimate Michael Shannon role and one he clearly relishes, in a performance certain to be buzzed about all through awards season.

There’s an absorbing mystery here, too. As the book’s lurid saga unravels, it becomes increasingly compelling to want to know what really happened between Susan and Edward. The manuscript is all we have to go on, and it appears to have come from a very bitter place, despite Edward’s gratitude toward Susan. What could’ve inspired it? 

For Ford, those specifics aren’t as important as reopening these wounds of betrayal and disloyalty, and what that causes Susan and Edward to confront. I can’t promise the ending will be satisfying but it is fascinating, and will spark debates. 

This is damn good moviemaking. I’m just scared to tell anyone to go see it.

For more from Jeff, read his review of “Moonlight.”

Full Circle

A brief rundown of what’s going on at Circle Cinema

The Love Witch
This horror-thriller follows a modern-day witch as she casts spells on men to make them fall in love with her. Told in the style of 1960s camp horror movies and filmed as a vibrant Technicolor tribute, this feminist fable explores men’s fears of women, women’s innate powers, and examines love, desire, and narcissism from a feminist perspective. Select showings will be screened on a 35mm print. NOW PLAYING.

OPENING DEC. 9

Nocturnal Animals
See above review. Rated R.

The Eagle Huntress
Narrated by Daisy Ridley (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), this inspiring documentary follows a 13-year-old girl who defies ancient Kazakh Mongolian tradition to train and become the first female eagle hunter in twelve generations. Rated G.

OPENING DEC. 16

Manchester By The Sea
See Joe O’Shansky’s review in the current issue of The Tulsa Voice. Rated R.

White Christmas
A Tulsa holiday tradition returns for regular daily showings. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as the song-and-dance duo that put on a show and fall in love with the sister act of Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. Circle board member Jody McIntyre will host sing-a-longs at selected showings, while additional selected showings will feature intermission music provided by Circle’s pipe organ.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Pearl Harbor Day 75th Anniversary Remembrance
FREE EVENT. Circle Cinema will pay tribute on this historic day with a free showing of a Pearl Harbor documentary. In addition, the Circle has produced locally-filmed interviews of six Tulsa-area veterans; these vets will share their thoughts regarding the attack, along with personal stories. Live music will also be played on the theater’s 1928 pipe organ, and a WWII military exhibit from Keith Myers will be on display in the gallery. (Wed., Dec. 7, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.)

Lethal Weapon
Circle’s “Graveyard Shift” presents the 1987 Mel Gibson blockbuster that revolutionized the buddy action movie. Danny Glover co-stars as a veteran police detective who’s partnered with Gibson’s suicidal cop as they work to stop a gang of drug smugglers. We’ll never be too old for this s--t. Also featuring Tulsa’s own Gary Busey. Rated R. (Fri., Dec. 9 & Sat., Dec. 10, 10 p.m.) 

The Strong Man
(2nd Saturday Silents) One of director Frank Capra’s earliest films, Harry Langdon stars in this hilarious silent comedy from 1926. The presentation also features a Felix the Cat cartoon. Bill Rowland will provide musical accompaniment on the Circle’s pipe organ. (Sat., Dec. 10, 11 a.m.)

No Man's Land - National Theatre Live
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart star in this broadcast of the West End stage production of Harold Pinter’s comic play, which followed their hit run on Broadway. An exclusive Q&A will follow with the cast and director Sean Mathias. (Thurs., Dec. 15, 6 p.m.)