Nightmare Alley

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Nightmare Alley follows Stanton Carlisle, a man with a shady background looking to eke out a living in Depression-era America. Stanton becomes attached to a carnival and garners quite the adept skill with mentalism, his rising ambition and talent leading him down a path he won't be able to turn back from. I love when Guillermo Del Toro plays with Gothic undertones in his films, he has a natural affinity for it and I often find some of his best works has risen from this. His recent success with The Shape Of Water styled a gothic fairytale/romance in what was a very compelling light; I have no doubt this wonderous crafting of a gothic noir isn't going to have similar acclaim. The journey Stanton goes on is such a fascinating example of a man so hopelessly abused and desperate that he takes a kindness and warps it into greed and ambition, his desire to gain more perpetually undercuts all the good visited on him. I think the great thing about seeing an adept manipulator like Stanton go through this narrative is coming to see the hubris of his designs for wealth and success at all costs. In a lot of ways the rise and fall of Stanton is a story format that could be very familiar to an audience already, but the unique carnival elements and traditionally inspired 'black widow' character makes this such a genuinely worthy watch. In that final act there are plenty of shocks or sudden revelations that will genuinely startle you, it's an absolute thrill. The cinematography is going to be some of the best I'll see all year; Del Toro's incredible colour palette and exquisite use of lighting crafts an atomsphere that is simply unmatched. The editing for the feature is a beautiful homage to the style of classic noir, while also maintaining a very steady and precise pace. The score for the film is eerie and will haunt you, it grows in desperation as our protagonist does which I loved.

 

Cate Blanchett, who played Dr. Lilith Ritter, is a very sinister figure who is immediately intriguing while radiating danger; the way she wears this very subtle mask hiding her true intentions in scenes is what makes Blanchett such a versatile performer. Toni Collette, who played Zeena The Seer, is quite a world-weary leader of the carnival who has lost the sense of charm behind performing; Collette is completely enamoured by Cooper's protagonist and we see how this character flaw leads to fractures within the carnival. Willem Dafoe, who played Clem Hoatley, is truly quite a despicable character; Dafoe plays Clem as this individual who is almost prideful in how he harms others for the sake of creating profit for the show. Richard Jenkins, who played Ezra Grindle, is a figure of immense arrogance and power; the manic way Jenkins obsesses over reconnecting with his dead wife gets to quite a frightening and dark place. Rooney Mara, who played Molly Cahill, is a very likeable and charming role; seeing Mara play this young woman who goes from being so in love with her partner to feeling so betrayed by him is a hard character arc to see played out. Ron Perlman, who played Bruno, is very much an intimidating father figure to Mara's character; seeing the hostility Perlman brings against Cooper and the fierce loyalty he has for Mara's character is quite sweet. Mary Steenburgen, who played Mrs. kimball, isn't in the film for very long but has a lasting impact; the way Steenburgen shows how the impact of losing her son has had such a profound effect on her role is both moving and unsettling. David Strathairn, who played Pete, is quite a wise figure who wields the tricks of mentalism in a way that is enthralling to watch; Strathairn's character feels inherently tragic because he has so much promise but has closed himself off from those who love him due to his alcoholism. Holt McCallany, who played Anderson, is an imposing figure who is fiercely loyal of Jenkins' role; the amount of respect McCallany has for his on-screen employer is well portrayed and makes you all the more worried should he discover Cooper's lies. Jim Beaver, who played Sheriff Jedediah Judd, is a minor role that I felt quite entrancing to watch; seeing Beaver act out being deceived by Cooper all in the span of a scene was extremely engrossing to watch. Tim Blake Nelson, who played Carny Boss, was a very fitting role to end the feature with; Nelson is an amiable presence that lowers the audience into a false sense of security before peeling his mask back to reveal yet another duplicitous twist.

However, the best performance came from Bradley Cooper, who played Stanton Carlisle. This was a leading role who was clearly very complex to play due to a journey that showcased how multi-faceted Carlisle is. When first we meet our protagonist he's quiet and sullen, uncertain of his place in the world and seeking food and income. Cooper plays Stanton as a cautious figure, he seems to have his guard up but he is steadily drawn into the oddities and charm of the carnival world. Watching him grow in confidence and utilise his charm to become rooted into the carnival is fascinating and the first sign of how manipulative Stanton can really be. Cooper takes us to the brink when we see his ambition come to the surface, letting to a violent act driven by jealousy and desire. Stanton is a figure who always rings false and is never satisfied with small success; he imagines himself well-renowned and decorated with decadent riches. The venomous relationship between Cooper and Blanchett that turns from hatred to mutual manipulation amidst an unsteady alliance is a fascinating watch. I loved seeing how Cooper showed Stanton to be desperately clinging to his talents and lies in a bid to stay afloat. The final scene of the feature in which we see the dark ironic twist of fate Stanton has been dealt is such a bone-chilling moment that is played perfectly by Cooper.

The unfortunate flaw with something like Nightmare Alley is that because it plays so closely with film noir elements, it isn't very surprising how certain plot elements play out. The entire downfall arc is almost immediately predictable from the conclusion of the first act; so while it is a satisfying character arc, I feel you can see the general way it maps out early on. Also the minute Dr. Ritter is introduced it becomes pretty apparent the sort of impact her character will have on Stanton, though it is brilliant to see performed by Blanchett. The nature of film noir is quite slow burn, so this pacing may feel slow for some audience goers.

Mark Povinelli, who played The Major, is a carnival oddity who isn't always the dry comic relief the film is hoping him to be; Povinelli's character is extremely similar to Perlman's and the two could've been rolled into one. Clifton Collins Jr., who played Funhouse Jack, was really one main carnival performer too many; seeing the film try to push Collins Jr. into more scenes just as the carnival story was winding down made some scenes feel a little bloated.

A Gothic triumph for Del Toro in what has to be one of his finest works yet. I would give Nightmare Alley an 8.5/10.