I think it’s fair to say Jean-Marc Vallée is on a serious roll. His adaptations of Dallas Buyers Club and Wild we’re both critically successful and popular with audiences . More specifically, it’s no coincidence his new film – his third in as many years – is being released in the middle of award season.
Let’s not forget Matthew McConaughey won his Oscar for Dallas, and Wild scored nominations for Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Will the combination of Demolition and Gyllenhaal’s transformation in Southpaw land him on the short list? Will he win in 2016 as a make-good for Nightcrawler?
Stay tuned!
THE OFFICIAL LINE:
Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Despite pressure from his father in law Phil (Chris Cooper) to pull it together, Davis continues to unravel. What starts as a complaint letter to a vending machine company turns into a series of letters revealing startling personal admissions. Davis’ letters catch the attention of customer service rep Karen (Naomi Watts) and, amidst emotional and financial burdens of her own, the two form an unlikely connection. With the help of Karen and her son Chris (Judah Lewis), Davis starts to rebuild, beginning with the demolition of the life he once knew.