Nightmare Alley, the latest film by mogul Guillermo del Toro, is probably his first film that doesn’t feature occult or mystical elements. There are no giant kaiju like in Pacific Rim. There are no monsters like in Mimic or Pan’s Labyrinth or even The Shape of Water. And also no ghosts like in Crimson Peak. Even so, Nightmare Alley, which is adapted from a novel by William Lindsay Gresham, is very del Toro. This film is incredibly beautiful with eerie darkness at each end.
The main character is Stanton Carlisle or who is often called Stan (Bradley Cooper). A mysterious man with an obscure background. What was his purpose in life and why he ended up at a circus carnival are valid questions. But what was most interesting was seeing how Stan quickly made this circus carnival his home.
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With a friendly demeanor, very self-aware, coupled with good charisma and a beautiful face, it didn’t take long for Stan to become friends with the personnel of this circus carnival. There is Zeena (Toni Collette) who has “mystical” attractions. Then there is Molly (Rooney Mara) whose beauty steals his heart. There is Bruno (Ron Perlman) who gives him a chance to stay alive by offering him a job. And there’s Clem (Willem Dafoe) who opens the curtains to show how dark this circus ride really is.
But of all the people at this circus carnival the one who is most likely to affect his life is Pete (David Strathairn). Pete taught him how to give the audience a chewable illusion. The “mentalist” show had taken him by surprise because Stan seemed to have a secret or two that he didn’t want to share with the world. Armed with this knowledge, Stan finally left the carnival circus with a new, more lively life. Little did he know that a nightmare was waiting for him at the end of the alley.
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Like other del Toro films, Nightmare Alley is a cinematic spectacle that when you watch it on the cinema screen, you can soak up every inch of its beauty. Tamara Deverell’s production designs are not only pleasing to the eye but make every corner of the circus carnival both charming and sad at the same time. When Nightmare Alley enters the second part and invites the audience to see the progress of Stan’s successful life, Deverell once again spoils the audience with a beautiful set of decorations.
Dan Laustsen, who got his share of recording Nightmare Alley, painted this film with a visual that every frame can be used as a display in a museum. Of course, since this is a neo-noir, the lighting and shadows are the main attraction. This scene of Hollywood actors going in and out of the dark is something really fun to watch. Oh, and the costume designed by Luis Sequira is no less impressive. See how Rooney Mara is eye-catching in her red dress. It’s really beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
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Of course, del Toro’s ability to present a film with a technical aspect that is more than capable is nothing new. All his films provide this. Unfortunately, unlike other del Toro films, Nightmare Alley didn’t deliver anything that surprised me. Because of the slate of Nightmare Alley, I suspect that this is not a del Toro film.
Dan Laustsen, who got his share of recording Nightmare Alley, painted this film with a visual that every frame can be used as a display in a museum. Of course, since this is a neo-noir, the lighting and shadows are the main attraction. This scene of Hollywood actors going in and out of the dark is something really fun to watch. Oh, and the costume designed by Luis Sequira is no less impressive. See how Rooney Mara is eye-catching in her red dress. It’s really beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
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Of course, del Toro’s ability to present a film with a technical aspect that is more than capable is nothing new. All his films provide this. Unfortunately, unlike other del Toro films, Nightmare Alley didn’t deliver anything that surprised me. Because of the slate of Nightmare Alley, I suspect that this is not a del Toro film.
Honestly, Nightmare Alley is quite exciting when the audience is invited to enter a new chapter in Stan’s life. In the second half of the film, Nightmare Alley is much tastier. Especially since we finally get acquainted with the femme fatale in the form of a psychologist named Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett). Before Ritter appeared, hardly a single character could match Stan’s “savageness”. Everyone is submissive to the way he carries himself. Ritter had another agenda. He knows how to deal with Stan and this is what makes the second half of Nightmare Alley so exciting.
Source: https://minimore.com/b/oY0Tk/1