Before I go to Sleep R
Adapted from the 2011 bestseller by British author S. J. Watson, this thriller introduces Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman), a 40-year-old woman unable to retain new memories once she goes to bed each night. Awakening daily to a home she doesn’t recognize, Christine learns from hubby Ben (Colin Firth) that an accident 13 years ago has resulted in her disorder. A phone call from Christine’s neuropsychologist Dr. Nasch (Mark Strong) helps her to locate her secret video diary hidden in her closet. After viewing, Christine slowly realizes that her disorder is the result of a brutal beating and that she can trust no one. Christine’s confused, paranoid efforts to unravel the truth should be more fun and tantalizing, but the film’s direction by Rowan Joffe fails to generate sufficient sympathy for Kidman’s character. (Lisa Miller)
Nightcrawler R
Down on his luck in Los Angeles, Louis (Jake Gyllenhaal) pawns his bike for a digital video camera and police scanner, using these as he trolls the city’s nighttime streets hoping to film the aftermath of crimes and accidents. Soon enough, he crosses paths with ruthless news director Nina (Rene Russo), a kindred soul determined to earn good ratings for her TV station. Written and directed by Dan Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy), the screenplay is both unsettling and funny, as it follows Louis documenting real-life gruesome situations and using blackmail to get his footage on the air. Whether using gonzo filming techniques that compromise investigation or training a new helper, Louis puts everything on the line to become L.A.’s most successful roving reporter. (L.M.)
The Surface Not Rated
The Surface begins with an aerial pan across Milwaukee, with Miller Park and the Downtown skyline, before settling on a run-down house where sulking Mitch (Sean Astin) prepares to visit his Alzheimer-ridden mom in the nursing home and take his late dad’s boat onto Lake Michigan for what might be his last day alive. While on the lake he runs into a downed aircraft and fishes out the pilot, Kelly (Chris Mulkey), who pulls a knife on him. They each have their stories, shown in short flashbacks. Writer-producer Jeff Gendelman is a Milwaukee native and insisted that the crew and extras were recruited from southeast Wisconsin. The heaving, shimmering beauty of the lake plays in the role of a supporting character. (David Luhrssen)
Whiplash R
Doors fling open violently at the conservatory and in strides Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a music teacher whose pedagogy is less Suzuki and more U.S. Marine Corps. Nineteen-year-old drummer Andrew (Miles Teller) will endure torrents of Fletcher’s verbal and physical abuse, not to mention bleeding fingers, to reach the teacher’s standards of excellence. The debut by director Damien Chazelle enters the striving mindset of people aiming for peak performance. The high-wire dramatization risks going over the top, but finely calibrated performances and tense editing keep the process believable. Fletcher is a maniac, but Whiplash seems to say that in a society where mediocrity is encouraged and every kid who shows up to class gets a gold star, driving to push students beyond endurance has an upside. (D.L.)
