![]() ![]() ![]() Even before the decisive act, one of his co-conspirators tells him he’s getting paranoid, but adds: “It’s healthier that way in the long run.” Eisenberg’s poker face is ideal for this, but the character’s strangled tones and trigger reactions belie his deep rattled anxiety. ![]() He plays one of a trio of eco-militants who commit an act of sabotage, then have to live with the repercussions-and above all, walk around afterwards as if nothing significant had happened. What I’m basically describing is Eisenberg’s teasingly minimalist performance in Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves. Eisenberg is turning out to be the kind of actor who’s brilliant at internalizing trauma, and I imagine his performance would be tuned tantalizingly a few notches above zero-the strangely placid face would barely flicker, the eyes remain fixedly trained on a thought, and perhaps there would be just a hint of cold sweat in the shininess of his skin. He’d be a terrific Raskolnikov-but I suspect you wouldn’t get mad eyes, raging, the full trembling-hand routine of haunted, hunted anxiety. Now it’s surely time for him to go the full mile and get himself cast in Crime and Punishment. And, again, she makes a decision with her ending that will frustrate some with its ambiguity but thrill those willing to accept her desire to work more in ellipses than periods.Jesse Eisenberg recently appeared in a Dostoevsky adaptation of sorts: Richard Ayoade’s claustrophobic, Gilliam-esque take on The Double. In “Night Moves,” as in all of Reichardt’s films, it is not just the incident that matters but its build-up and follow-through. A key one in the final act is shot with close-ups of eyes and feet. What will be the downfall of this trio? Will it be the aforementioned fertilizer scene? Will it be one of the people that they seem to always inadvertently run into as their plan materializes? Will one of the three leads destroy their plan or betray the other two? As one might expect who knows Reichardt’s films, the director avoids easy thriller clichés or even answers. Reichardt builds tension through the cumulative impact of seemingly minor moments. In between, we have the lovely Dena, closer to Harmon in her willingness to work with what she’s given, such as in a masterfully tense scene involving the purchase of fertilizer, but clearly drawn to the brooding, purposeful Josh. Josh is the one who needs every detail to fall into place Harmon is the one who rolls with the punches. As is the fact that Harmon knows the guy from his time behind bars, which he failed to disclose. Sure, the waiter who recognizes him during part of their journey could be a problem. Harmon, as perfectly captured by Sarsgaard in what ends up being a disappointingly small role, is more able to adapt to the situation. Eisenberg and Reichardt sketch him too organically to call him calculated but Josh is definitely the most deliberate of the three terrorists. As played by Eisenberg with more subdued detachment than usual (and perhaps more than the part called for, especially in the final act), Josh is a deliberate, patient terrorist. And that they're going to take action.Īs with all of Reichardt’s films, it’s more about the journey than the destination. These are people who have had enough and feel that protests are no longer getting the attention their issues demand. Reichardt and her writing partner Jon Raymond don’t weigh their narrative down with political rants or environmental messages. The first half of Reichardt’s delicately timed narrative sees the planning of the event the second details the inevitable fallout. Josh ( Jesse Eisenberg), Dena ( Dakota Fanning), and Harmon ( Peter Sarsgaard) are going to blow up a dam. “Night Moves” is about three people itching to make a statement in a world in which technology has overtaken agriculture. ![]()
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