It appears that as Jake Gyllenhaal ages, his eyes are consuming the rest of his face. As Lou Bloom in Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal looks skinny and wan and greasy, but those gigantic eyes are taking everything in, calculating how he can transform himself from a small-time crook to a Somebody. Gyllenhaal has been making excellent choices as an actor lately—he was the best thing in Prisoners, his performance in Enemy held that weird little smoggy smear of a movie together, and now Nightcrawler is probably the best thing he’s ever done.
When we first meet Bloom, he’s a total freak, a thief who speaks in a too-chipper series of self-help aphorisms and corporate-speak he’s gleaned off the internet. But soon enough, he’s discovered a legitimate career that appeals to him, and he decides to become the best in this field. Wait, did I say “legitimate”? Maybe not so much…