Review 654: Nightmare Alley

 

An unbearably slow burner, Nightmare Alley maintains its grip on the audiences attention with its unshakably grim atmosphere, Guillermo del Toro's firm directorial hand and its outstanding ensamble cast.

Based on the novel Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham, Stanton "Stan" Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) is an ambitious young carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with Lilth Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is to grift the wealthy in 1940's New York society

Nightmare Alley is a film that exists within a realm that del Toro hasn't explored before which is the idea of the American Dream   This actually the second adaptation of the book following the 

del Toro has described the films story as a "ramp" At its core, it's a story about somebody haunting themself; It's story about somebody trying to escape from themself but actually the thing they're on the run from is the thing they can't run from.

There's great use of lighting and shadows to capture a sense of dread   the cinematography is gorgeous and captures the splendour and mysticism of  in the late 30s and early 40s. the score by Nathan Johnson* is haunting  the production design is immaculate, 

• I remember reading earlier this year that the great Alexandre Desplat was originally lined up to compose the score by due real world related scheduling conflicts, he dropped out. That sadly didn't work out.