A One Mann’s Movies review of “Nightmare Alley” (2022).
Another new movie that should be getting some Oscar attention: Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley”: the remake of a 1947 film noir starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell. Will it get the same buzz as his Oscar-winning “The Shape of Water“?
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Running from a crime scene, Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) is accepted into the bosom of a travelling carnival, run by Clem Hoatley (Willem DaRichardfoe) with “no questions asked”. He falls in with the mentalist double act of Zeena (Toni Collette) and the alcoholic Pete (David Strathairn). Stanton begins to pick up the tricks of their trade. He’s also falling for the young Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara). The pair are about to embark on a risky business venture that will change their lives forever.
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, David Strathairn, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen.
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro.
Written by: Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan. (Based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham).
“Nightmare Alley” Review:
Positives:
- The movie looks like a billion dollars. I would have thought (as it had a US release in 2021) that this should be a shoo-in for the Production Design award. That thought is based off the design of Dr Ritter (Cate Blanchett)’s office alone. The art deco locations used are also spectacular, with the pad of Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins) being a high-point. It should also be a strong contender for Cinematography. Dan Laustsen and the lighting teams doing a phenomenal job at setting the noirish mood for the piece.
- What a cast! There’s a wealth of Oscar-winning talent for del Toro to call upon here, and in the main they deliver. Bradley Cooper starts by auditioning (very successfully) for “Indy 6: Indy goes Bad”. But then he really delivers a full-throttle performance: his final maniacal scene is Oscar-worthy. I’ve seen comment elsewhere (from Kevin Maher in “The Times”) that Cooper at 46 is too old to be believable as the random seducer of women both young and old. But I think that might be one to be put to a poll of women of all ages! Those blue eyes… Man, I’d probably sleep with him!
- Of the supporting players, I particularly enjoyed the under-stated performance of David Strathairn: in the catalogue file marked “Eddie Marsan” of brilliant but ofter under-rated supporting actors.
- Whilst I thought the film had some pacing issues (see below), I thought the the ending was satisfying. (I rather saw it coming, and might have handled it in a slightly different way, but it was pleasingly ‘non-Hollywood’).
Negatives:
- This is a movie of two halves, both of which are too long. The first part set in the Carnival I thought to be flabby and in need of editing down. (It’s 70 minutes long – I looked at my watch). We spend all that time establishing characters and plot, which I’d normally applaud, but it came across as dull at times. It was one of those films that had me saying to myself “You can’t be bored… look how gorgeous it looks… look how technically adept it is… GET A BLOODY MOVE ON!”
- I wasn’t convinced by the femme fatale of the piece, Dr Lilith Ritter. Cate Blanchett is fine, in an ice-queen sort of way, but I wasn’t convinced by the character’s motivations (no spoilers).
Summary Thoughts on “Nightmare Alley”
Guillermo del Toro’s new film is, without doubt, a glorious sight to behold. But, under the gloss, it failed to completely satisfy me. This is another example, IMHO, of a potentially wonderful film that could have been turned into a 5* classic with the judicial use of the editing knife.
Trailer for “Nightmare Alley”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q81Yf46Oj3s .
