Review: "Demolition" is a Great, Endearing Depiction of Grief

Scene from Demolition

Over the past three years, director Jean-Marc Vallee has pretty much made a career out of being presumable "Oscar bait." This is most prevalent in his problematic debut Dallas Buyers Club, which earned Matthew McConaughey a Best Actor award as well as a Best Picture nomination. While he hasn't quite hit that high since, his work definitely continues to veer off into far more interesting directions. His mixture of humanity and familiar yet earnest themes may not make for the most captivating dramas, but what he does so well is make dramas full of personality and life that compensate for their familiarity. While not his best, Demolition feels like the perfect embodiment of what he does so well, thanks in part to a great lead performance by the reliable Jake Gyllenhaal.

The First "Demolition" Trailer Shows Gyllenhaal Breaking New Ground and Houses

Jake Gyllenhaal

It must be odd to be Jake Gyllenhaal at the current moment. At least, if you're in his fan base and have the idea that he should have kept receiving Oscar nominations for his last few roles. There was last year's Nightcrawler, which many consider to have been snubbed at awards season. Then came this summer's boxing drama Southpaw: a film that was so hyped that it's almost embarrassing to mention its lack of traction. Up next is another turn, and one that may be more promising considering the talent involved. Today marks the release of the trailer for director Jean-Marc Vallee's Demolition, which shows the actor having a great time destroying houses and getting his life back together... or something like that.