Gay fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford’s sophomore feature, “Nocturnal Animals,” is a doozy of a movie — both stylish and spellbinding. A nude dancer in the opening credit sequence is eye-catching. So too are the sleek exteriors and interiors of the residence shared by the elegantly dressed Susan Morrow (Amy Adams), an art-gallery owner, and her husband Hutton (Armie Hammer).
All the sleekness represents (or masks) Susan’s malaise. She is unhappy with her privileged life and concerned about her rocky marriage. Susan is shaken out of her melancholy by the arrival of the galleys of a forthcoming book written by Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal), her ex-husband of nearly 20 years. In a telltale sign, she gets a paper cut opening the package.
The book, entitled “Nocturnal Animals” and dedicated to Susan, recounts the story of Tony Hastings (also played by Gyllenhaal), his wife, Laura (Ilsa Fisher), and their daughter, India (Ellie Bamber). While traveling through Texas in the middle of the night, the family encounters Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Lou (Karl Glusman) and Turk (Robert Aramayo) on the road. An intense, extended sequence depicts a nightmarish situation in which Ray and his pals harass Tony and his family. The story infects Susan, getting under her skin, and making it hard for her to sleep.
“Nocturnal Animals” (the film) will enthrall viewers who also are as taken by “Nocturnal Animals” (the novel) as Susan is. The Texas-set story, which seems to be lightyears away from the relationship Edward and Susan had in New York, is disturbing, but Ford’s presentation makes it riveting. He draws out the story, building suspense masterfully. When the action abruptly cuts back to Susan’s life, viewers may find themselves frustrated by the mini-cliffhangers and breathless for the next installment. The Texas scenes are strikingly filmed by Ford. The color palette of the dusty desert is beautiful and a vivid contrast to the sleekness of Susan’s modern L.A. home.
The Texas story, it should also be noted, involves an investigation by a local cop, Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon). As Bobby helps Tony with the aftermath of the highway incident, themes of responsibility, guilt and regret are slowly revealed. Not surprisingly, these themes are echoed in Susan’s real-life story and her past with Edward. Ford makes this connection visually for viewers by mirroring Susan and Tony’s bodies. He juxtaposes images of them each alone in bed, the bath or the shower. There is a deeper emotional connection between Susan and Tony as well — one that becomes clearer as the film unfolds.
Ford is such a deliberate, shrewd storyteller that he allows audiences to understand the characters and their thoughts and feelings at any given moment. It makes perfect sense when Susan, in Los Angeles, is so disturbed by what she has read in Edward’s book that she calls and wakes her daughter. That the image of her daughter lying naked in bed reflects a similar image in Tony’s story is also no coincidence.
Ford never allows the multiple time frames and storylines to become confusing. In fact, a flashback scene featuring Susan’s meal with her mother Anne (a fantastic Laura Linney) emphasizes that Anne sees Edward as “weak” and Susan should not marry him. Viewers already know how the marriage turned out, but why it failed has yet to be revealed. Moreover, it is clear from Edward’s novel how he has changed since then.
This layering keeps the story engaging. Ford peppers the plot with clever moments that link Tony and Susan, such as a scene of Tony experiencing a shock paralleling an episode in which a startled Susan drops a cell phone. Likewise, when Susan sees a painting on the wall that reads “REVENGE” or a picture of a man aiming a gun at someone, the emotional impact Tony’s story has on her resonates. Even scenes featuring dead animals (as art, or not) are freighted with meaning.
Thankfully, these moments never feel clunky. The filmmaker’s exquisite visual sensibility is evident in every frame, from the way Ford composes his shots and sets to the colors he uses (he favors red). His film is a throwback to classic Hollywood melodrama and film-noir templates, even down to the music.
Ford also coaxes strong performances from his cast. While Adams and Gyllenhaal have only a few scenes together, both actors are magnetic. Adams conveys Susan’s despair and her growing self-awareness in the simplest expressions, while Gyllenhall makes both Tony and Edward engaging, sympathetic characters. In support, Shannon is excellent, especially when Bobby’s sly smile hints at his delight when Tony makes a difficult decision.
“Nocturnal Animals” ends on a perfect note too. It may not be satisfying for all the characters, but viewers seduced by Ford’s fabulous film will be awestruck.