Nocturnal Animals

Tom afFords more time to source novel’s frame than to its story, but opts for the title of the latter, indicating narrative confusion that pervades this picturesque piece. Stellar performances from distractingly star-studded cast cut through the gray muddled night, but the structure fails to rise up the evolutionary ladder.

Birdman

Black-Swan-man embraces gravity with style despite feather-ruffling from Norton’s Norton and stoned Stone.  Watts electrifies with return to Mulholland while Galifaeioukis galls by emerging from comedic ferns.  Inairitu’s mockery of editing and soundly designed sound design give wings to a film that seemed like a long shot and still does.