Denzel Washington (Training Day, American Gangster) vulnerable? Sure, we’ve seen that before. While there are more exceptions than rules, we have seen Washington play roles where his character doesn’t always have the answers or is susceptible to outcomes beyond his control. These films include Flight, Man on Fire, Out of Time, John Q, Fences, and He Got Game. But scared? Outside of John Q, I don’t know if there’s a movie where one of his characters has been so frantic that he is completely hidden from the confident and poised Denzel that we expect and love. All of that changes in Dan Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel Esq., his follow-up directorial performance after blazing onto the Hollywood landscape with 2014’s Nightcrawler.
Category Archives: Dan Gilroy
Nightcrawler (2014)
It’s getting closer and closer to awards season, and I have continued to wait for that one movie that will establish itself as the movie to beat before the real crop of contenders comes out between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Unfortunately, some of those I thought would show themselves, especially Boyhood, Gone Girl, or Birdman, have failed. So, the movie to beat at this point is still The Drop. But first-time director Dan Gilroy has made his claim with the creepy Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers, Prisoners) Nightcrawler. I am sure this will be just one of two movies I’ve seen thus far that will wind up in my end-of-year Top 10. Others are there now that, I’m hoping, will fall as we get into the meat and bones of December. But The Drop and Nightcrawler seem to have cemented their spots.
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