Run by a wiry fellow named Clem (a suitably mean and creepy Willem Dafoe), who wears a thin mustache that’s too dark for his age, the carnival feels like a mirage in the middle of nowhere, an American Dust Bowl oasis that shows up, settles for a while, and will, eventually, move on. 1939 is bleak, and the world is about to get bleaker.
This mix of carny folks includes the true definition of a geek, a forlorn man covered in filth with a wild mane of hair. He thrills the sparse crowds by eating live chickens. Twenty-five cents also earns access to other attractions, including the chance to have a mindreader tell truths about the people in one’s family.
A stranger haunted by his own secret arrives. We’ve seen him burn down a house with a body inside. His name doesn’t quite fit the freakish new world that welcomes him. Stanton “Stan” Carlisle is his handle. Is it real? Who knows? He’s well-built. He’s willing to work. We are told repeatedly that he doesn’t drink liquor. He’s acted by Bradley Cooper with taciturn gentleness and a curiously calm curiosity. What’s his game?
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The carnival section of “Nightmare Alley” weaves its magic on you. Sideshow denizens dance along the edges. Stan learns the secrets essential to divining the thoughts of ordinary folks. He’s a quick study and Zeena and Pete (Toni Collette and David Strathairn, both flawless ) are, respectively, filled with ennui and alcohol. They’re no match for Mr. Carlisle.
Also no match is “electro wizard” Molly (a perfectly guileless Rooney Mara). Stan expresses his love for her, and once he has the full knowledge of how to con the unsuspecting, he’s ready to fry bigger fish. Stan and Molly shuffle off to Buffalo.
Now two years into their successful new lives – 1941’s “day of infamy” will strike the nation – Stan and Molly entertain the swells of that big city near Niagara Falls wth clever tricks of mentalism. They are living rather comfortably, but you know the rules for film noir: there’s always a femme fatale lurking down an office building’s corridor. Dr. Lilith Ritter is her name, and she’s a sleek and equally accomplished emotional game player.
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Watching Stan at the nightclub where he’s the star attraction, Dr. Ritter (seductively played by a glorious Cate Blanchett) immediately figures out the con. No one can actually read minds. She should know, she’s a psychologist.
Soon, Stan will be telling her his truths and slowly end up being the not-so-innocent lamb to her determined ravenous wolf. There’s a lot of money to be made. The big secret of “Nightmare Alley” slowly comes into focus. Molly smells a rat. Or in the case of the movie, a very foxy dame. Red dresses and green-eyed jealousy are color codes for director del Toro’s clever thematic trap.
The film has more time to travel – it runs 150-minutes, after all – and when the weather turns as cold as the hearts of some of the characters, you feel as if you’re trapped in a snow globe.
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Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” is closer to William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel than it is to the 1947 movie of the same name, which stars Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell. The story is a bit of a switch for del Toro, who co-wrote the screenplay with his wife, film historian Kim Morgan. His preferred supernatural monsters are nowhere to be found. He and Morgan are keen on delivering human monsters.
The exterior of Buffalo’s iconic 32-story City Hall, an Art Deco masterpiece, plays an office building, but only briefly, literally a few seconds. Niagara Square comes and goes in an instant. A hint of a yellow taxi, a burst of movement. Inside the tower, highly polished floors and gleaming Art Deco elevator doors beckon. These are bold architectural “actors” playing their parts, assuring that every aspect of the feature is gorgeous to look at.
Regarding his shooting some scenes in Buffalo, del Toro said that he was eager to take advantage of the city's architecture and unfamiliar setting. He divides his time between Toronto and Los Angeles, and from his Toronto vantage point, he is exceedingly familiar with Buffalo. “I wanted to find a city that was really interesting to visit for an audience, that was not a city they were overly familiar with, ” explained the director.
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Other actors in the standout cast include Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Ron Perlman, Mark Povinelli, Clifton Collins Jr., Holt McCallany, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Tim Blake Nelson, and Romina Power, the real-life daughter of actor Tyrone.
The movie, which is in theaters, is grandly, wonderfully entertaining. Dan Laustsen’s vivid cinematography is alluring. The crisp film editing by Cam McLauchlin is perfect. Nathan Johnson’s music score is equal parts subtle, powerful, and haunting.
“Nightmare Alley” is beautiful, but oh so deadly. The central mystery that affects key characters is enticing. It reveals the dark side of human behavior, and the consequences of questionable decisions. The story’s moral is straight out of the bottle of ironic retribution. Del Toro has made one of the best movies of the year.
A Series Of Supernatural Stories
Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” is closer to William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel than it is to the 1947 movie of the same name, which stars Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell. The story is a bit of a switch for del Toro, who co-wrote the screenplay with his wife, film historian Kim Morgan. His preferred supernatural monsters are nowhere to be found. He and Morgan are keen on delivering human monsters.
The exterior of Buffalo’s iconic 32-story City Hall, an Art Deco masterpiece, plays an office building, but only briefly, literally a few seconds. Niagara Square comes and goes in an instant. A hint of a yellow taxi, a burst of movement. Inside the tower, highly polished floors and gleaming Art Deco elevator doors beckon. These are bold architectural “actors” playing their parts, assuring that every aspect of the feature is gorgeous to look at.
Regarding his shooting some scenes in Buffalo, del Toro said that he was eager to take advantage of the city's architecture and unfamiliar setting. He divides his time between Toronto and Los Angeles, and from his Toronto vantage point, he is exceedingly familiar with Buffalo. “I wanted to find a city that was really interesting to visit for an audience, that was not a city they were overly familiar with, ” explained the director.
Nightmare Alley: Faustian Carnival Noir: The Rise And Fall: From Divinity To Geek
Other actors in the standout cast include Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Ron Perlman, Mark Povinelli, Clifton Collins Jr., Holt McCallany, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Tim Blake Nelson, and Romina Power, the real-life daughter of actor Tyrone.
The movie, which is in theaters, is grandly, wonderfully entertaining. Dan Laustsen’s vivid cinematography is alluring. The crisp film editing by Cam McLauchlin is perfect. Nathan Johnson’s music score is equal parts subtle, powerful, and haunting.
“Nightmare Alley” is beautiful, but oh so deadly. The central mystery that affects key characters is enticing. It reveals the dark side of human behavior, and the consequences of questionable decisions. The story’s moral is straight out of the bottle of ironic retribution. Del Toro has made one of the best movies of the year.
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