Wednesday, February 02, 2022
Nightmare Alley
This is Guillermo del Toro’s exquisite neo-noir psychological crime drama remake of the 1947 original of the same name. Stan (Bradley Cooper) is a man with a mysterious past who joins a traveling carnival where he learns how to be a mentalist. His ambition & his love for Molly (Rooney Mara) has the two leaving the shady carney business to perfect their night club act for high society. There, they meet psychologist Lilith (Cate Blanchett) who helps Stan dupe his new high class clients by feeding off their weaknesses as well as their money. Well, you can read it in the cards, the big con spins out of control for the drifter turn grifter who defies warnings to avoid the spook show. You’ll be fascinated by the carney environment & their way of life. See how deceit & deception play out in these two very different worlds. The all star cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Toni Collette, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, & David Strathairn. They are all marvelous. This 1940’s period piece is very dark in nature & may not be to everyone’s liking.
Alien gives it 3 “Shut Eye” stars out of 4.
