Gyllenhaal revisits some shadowy ground
Jake Gyllenhaal is no stranger to the dark side when it comes to his film projects.
There’s his gritty boxing drama Southpaw (2015) and the crimeridden Nightcrawler (2014), among others. And now there’s Nocturnal Animals.
The 35-year-old actor portrays two characters — Tony and Edward — in the Tom Ford film.
Edward is the ex-husband of Los Angeles art gallery guru Susan Morrow (Amy Adams). Tony is the character Edward has created for his novel Nocturnal Animals.
Weaving back and forth from Susan’s story to Tony’s, the parallel narratives soon reflect off each other as we see what Susan reads into her ex’s story.
Loosely based on Austin Wright’s acclaimed novel Tony and Susan, the movie is a harrowing study of despair and dysfunction.
Gyllenhaal spoke with Postmedia News about Nocturnal Animals and his choice in projects that lean toward the dark side: Q Did Ford tell you why he hired you for his second film?
A He did mention to me that he thinks I’m courageous with the choices I make. Q What did you make of the script when you first read it? A It left me shaken. It really was frightening.
Q Did you know Ford, who’s also a fashion mogul, before Nocturnal Animals?
A Tom and I have had a connection for a number of years. I was sort of surprised that he wanted me to play this part, although it did feel natural once I got into it. Q Were there any other enticements?
A I knew Amy (Adams) was doing the film, and that was great because I am a massive fan of her talent.
Q Aren’t you a buddy of Michael Shannon, who co-stars in the film?
A Michael and I have been friends for 16 years going back to our Sundance (Institute) lab days. He was incredible even back then. He goes to a space in his mind and gets in there deep. I like that. Q Why do you pick roles that are often alienating?
A I didn’t get into this business to become a celebrity. I hope people enjoy what I do, but I don’t necessarily do it for that reason, either. Q What’s your selection criteria?
A I listen to my instincts. I don’t listen to anything or anyone else. But the goal is to always do things I care about. Q A Do I don’t you choosehave priorities?movies solely based theon the director screenplay.and cinematographer Oftentimes are important to me, as well. Q Isn’t that unusual?
A I guess. But I think of myself as a full-crew actor. I’m not obsessed about one thing. I care about the whole piece. Q Do you favour one sort of movie over another?
A People always ask me, “Why do you do so many dark things? Why don’t you do a romantic comedy?” I just don’t find that interesting.
Q You have a reputation for getting into the detail of a character. True?
A What else is there? That’s where the fun is. You should always try to do more than paint-by-numbers. That’s why I love rehearsal, but I don’t always get it.