This is not how we are used to seeing Nicole Kidman. Kidman plays snarling, violent, even grizzled Los Angeles police detective bent on vengeance, in the gritty crime thriller DESTROYER.
Kidman also plays a younger, more innocent rookie cop version of the character, Erin Bell, in flashback. As the younger version, Kidman looks like herself, as we are used to seeing her, but as the older, hardened cop, she is nearly unrecognizable.
That Kidman’s character is damaged goods, and was once a far different person, as made clear by the reaction of her police co-workers when she appears unexpectedly at the crime scene that opens the film. A body with bullet holes is found in a little-visited area near the Los Angeles river, sparking a murder investigation, but a tattoo on the body hints at a connection to another long-ago crime in Detective Erin Bell’s past.
The script, written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, film toggles back and forth between the investigation linked to that murder scene, and flashbacks to a younger version of that character (a prettier Kidman), who as a rookie participated in an undercover investigation that went horribly wrong. Those events basically created the snarling animal we meet in that first scene, and who haunts the film throughout, as she hunts down the criminal leader Silas (Toby Kebbell) involved in that life-changing earlier investigation.
Kidman is not the only actor whose appearance is unconventional, or whose character’s life was transformed by the events that twisted Erin Bell, in this noir-ish drama.
The film never makes clear who or what is the “destroyer” in the title, but it may be the main character played by Kidman. When the crime figure who masterminded the robbery that so impacted the detective’s life re-emerges, Bell sets out to finish old business, tracking down Silas’ old gang members and collaborators, stepping over the line as the quest for vengeance unhinges her.
Revenge is a theme but so being held accountable for one’s actions, as Erin is not free of guilt herself. Kidman’s work is supported by a good cast. Sebastian Stan plays Chris, Erin Bell’s partner in the earlier undercover operation, who we see frequently in the flashbacks. Tatiana Maslany plays Silas’ lover Petra, while Jade Pettyjohn plays Erin’s teen-aged daughter Shelby. Bradley Whitford plays the money launderer Dennis DiFranco
This crime thriller is very much a character-driven story. Director Karyn Kusama takes a neutral, non-judgmental approach to this often-unlikable, violent character. She is a puzzle whose pieces are gradually assembled for us throughout the drama.
This is a film that is likely to stay with you, to haunt you, after its end, particularly the unforgettable character at its center. But this is a film that requires patience. You have to stay with it to the end to fully appreciate what it is doing. There is a bit of misdirection in the film and audiences will think they know what kind of story they are watching only to discover it is something else. It takes us down several rabbit holes, but clears up the questions it raises in its powerful conclusion.
Audiences are more accustomed to seeing male actors in this kind of gritty, unlikable anti-hero role. Of course, It is not the first time a beautiful actress has gone through this kind of physical transformation – we have certainly seen Charlize Theron do this more than once – but this is the first time we have seen Kidman tackle this kind of risky role. Not only makeup transforms Kidman’s appearance, as the actress bravely embraces this challenging character. Kidman adopts a squinting look, a stooped posture and a rolling walk that suggests a cowboy, along with a gravelly voice in a menacing monotone.
The film is visually striking, and the fine cinematography by Julie Kirkwood is one of its strengths. The action often takes place at the margins of the city, where broken pavement or overlooked spaces under bridges allow the natural environment to unexpectedly poke through.
The reference to Westerns are not just in Kidman’s portrayal. In fact, although the film is set in contemporary LA., subtle visual references to classic Westerns abound. The out-of-the-way locations are seedy, but they are also wind-swept and sunlight with a harsh light that recalls the dry, high plains of the West. While the drama has the shadows of film noir, occasional stabs of bright light that pierce that darkness, reflecting the influence of Michael Mann and ’70s films like THE FRENCH CONNECTION. But those moments of bright light are often through pale grasses growing in the margins. The film was shot entirely in and around Los Angeles, which gives it a distinct realism. The faded, spiky grasses suggest Western prairies, as if the natural Western landscape that L. A, was built on is struggling to breakthrough and reclaim the space.
DESTROYER is worth seeing for Nicole Kidman’s remarkable performance alone. While it is not a flawless film, it is worth the effort and patience, and that patience is well rewarded by the film’s devastating conclusion. DESTROYER opens Friday, Jan. 18, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater and Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
