WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE YOU CAN’T JUST THROW IT AWAY.Â
Art gallery owner Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) receives a copy of a novel written by her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal); she’s immediately drawn into the story about a family that falls victim to three men while driving in the middle of nowhere… Tom Ford’s second film came seven years after A Single Man and is equally stylish and haunting. We’re just as easily drawn into that thrilling and gruesome novel as Adams, which makes the frequent jumps back to her story less welcome. Still, it’s an interesting study of broken dreams, cowardice and adapting to new circumstances, connected by Adams and Gyllenhaal’s characters. Superior performances; Michael Shannon is very entertaining as a West Texas cop.
2016-U.S. 117 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Tom Ford, Robert Salerno. Written and directed by Tom Ford. Novel: Austin Wright (”Tony and Susan”). Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey. Music: Abel Korzeniowski. Cast: Amy Adams (Susan Morrow), Jake Gyllenhaal (Edward Sheffield/Tony Hastings), Michael Shannon (Bobby Andes), Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer… Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen, Jena Malone.
Trivia: Joaquin Phoenix and Kim Basinger were allegedly considered for roles.
Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actor (Taylor-Johnson). Venice: Grand Jury Prize.
Last word:Â “[Ford] created an entire world for Susan to exist in, which really helped inform the character and in a way he became my muse on set. I tell him that he is my muse rather than the other way around. He just has this graceful way about him, which is so very Susan. And suddenly I was like I think Susan is Tom. I came to this understanding, I knew it was a personal story but I ended up feeling like she is Tom.” (Adams, Vogue)