by Coop Cooper
“Nocturnal Animals” (feature film in theaters) - Susan (Amy Adams), a pampered socialite and art gallery owner trudges through her loveless second marriage with her wealthy, yet uninterested husband (Armie Hammer). When her writer/teacher first husband, Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) sends her a manuscript for his new novel, she takes it as a peace offering. Their bitter divorce left them estranged for nineteen years and she reminisces fondly and with regret as the words in his book move her. Eager to reconnect, she reaches out to him, but the story in the book hides an allegory for their failed relationship that could dig the knife in even further.
If “Gone Girl” is widely considered a masterful achievement in storytelling, then “Nocturnal Animals” merely feels like a moderately successful writing experiment. While it starts out like a tense Hitchcockian thriller, it loses momentum and becomes merely an ironic relationship drama...![]()
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