The story begins by following Gyllenhaal's early 30s character as he aimlessly looks for any type of work in Los Angeles, CA. He stumbles upon the idea of filming graphic/shocking imagery and then selling it to news stations.
Slowly, we begin to understand Gyllenhaal's character. It is revealed that he is a highly functioning, highly driven sociopath. He's willing to go to any lengths in order to be the best at what he does, which includes very unethical and highly manipulative actions. We are brought on this turbulent journey and want him to succeed but by the film's end we may be feeling differently.
Examining consumerism at a hysterical level(shock value TV) is the important message here. This is done as an almost cautionary tale. We constantly want this shock but what about the means in order to get it? We lose sight of our own ethics and everything becomes meaningless.
The direction and especially the acting by Gyllenhaal made this movie. This film is a marking of a new phase for Gyllenhaal (god, I hate typing his name). I'm quite happy with his recent turn in films: "Source Code", "End of Watch", "Enemy", and "Prisoners". Even the supporting actors really draw you into this filthy world where you just cannot look away.
If you want to immerse yourself into an original and engrossing story, look no further.
Overall grade: A-
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