With a performance that cements his standing as one of the most consistent leading men in Hollywood, Jake Gyllenhaal shines as the twitchy, introverted Davis, a banker struggling with the sudden death of his wife.

Numb to the passing and questioning the love they shared, he finds solace in curious interest Karen (Naomi Watts) and son Chris (newcomer Judah Lewis) who burns with the same fiery intensity as a young Ed Furlong did in the 90s.

However strong the cast though, this is a meditation in common coming-of-age dramatic filmmaking which sadly doesn’t quite hit home.

Demolition displays a fine, muted tableau of love and how grieving comes in many forms. With just a little more emotional heft, this could’ve been a real bulldozer.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, Heather Lind

DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc Vallée

WRITER: Bryan Sipe

SYNOPSIS: As an investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash, his increasingly confessional series of letters to a vending machine company catch the attention of a customer service rep with whom he forms an unlikely connection.