Nightmare Alley (2021) – 3/5

Definitely not a nightmare movie, but also not as good as it could have been

It’s been almost five years since Mexican director Guillermo del Toro released The Shape of Water, the movie that won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and sure he did some television work in-between and even showed up at the Annie Awards lately, but a big screen release is always something different, so I was indeed curious about this film here, even if not super curious you could say as there were many films I wanted to see before this one, now that I am allowed to again. It also had to do with me not being a fan of Bradley Cooper and he was in almost every scene of this film to be honest. Maybe this is also why I did not feel sorry for his character in the end at all with what happens to the man. I actually thought on some occasions throughout the film that he would die. Maybe death would have been easier on him. It was an interesting reference though to a dialogue early on in the movie with him now being the victim. Admittedly, you can say that he called said victim a poor creature or something like that honestly, but yeah I am already way too deep into the action and plot. Let’s look at the basics first: This movie may not repeat the success of The Shape of Water, but it managed to get nominated for Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars, which is not a given at all. A bit of a surprise even maybe. Add to that, it delivered elsewhere too and scored three nominations in the visual categories. The film looked nice, I surely give them that. The cast is also spectacular. I am just a bit sad that Willem Dafoe was severely underused a second time this year. Some screen time early on, but nothing really to work with, and then vanishes completely for the rest of the film. Ron Perlman’s inclusion was expected as he has worked with del Toro so many times before, but also not too much to his character. The strongman part fits him nicely though. Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen played a pretty bizarre character. Seemingly harmless, but actually really whack. Richard Jenkins is an actor I adore and I must admit I did not even recognize him with the make-up, the heavy beard. Maybe also because it has been quite some time since I saw him in something. But I will always cherish The Visitor.

As for the ladies, Toni Collette is in here, but also not a key role. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett have more to work with and even if they do not share any screen time at all except when they meet for the first time, it felt interesting. Cooper’s character surely did his best to keep them away from each other. The two women in his life you could say. I personally preferred Mara a lot, not just because she is so beautiful here and also the far more likable character, but something felt off with Blanchett’s character. Maybe indeed a bit too gimmicky. Still Mara and Blanchett (or the other way around) had their own really successful film in the past, so nice to see them both here as well. As for Cooper, I am still not won over, but he was alright. A bit surprised nobody from the cast really gained any awards attention I think. Especially Mara deserved better. Her final scene in this costume of the deceased lady was also maybe the film’s highlight how it all escalated there. It escalated again immediately afterwards with Blanchett’s character revelation and how it was all just a game to her, but for me that was one plot twist too many. A bit surprising to see as well then how Cooper’s character got away from the cops there, but what happened to him in the end was also maybe even worse punishment as we find out. By the way, this film is set in America in the first half of the 20th century, so dark times historically and you will hear quotes for example about the German Chaplin-lookalike invading Poland. Sounded funnier than it was, even if the war action was far away from where the film was set. Geographically.

What do we learn from this film? That maybe it is really better to stay away from spirits and not enter the world of the dead at all, even if it is just make-believe and the protagonist has been a scammer since minutes one. Everybody lost. Well, except Blanchett’s character maybe. Cooper’s peaked maybe when his show was about to get closed by the police. He saved everybody you could say. For a little while at least. In the end, we find out that they actually went bankrupt and this big baby creature, almost an idol, inside the glass found a new owner and so it was even a déjà vu for Cooper’s character there. The scene when he tricks the sheriff and sees right through him (his family, his injury) was okay, but not my favorite. The first meeting with Blanchett’s character was better, how he knew about the gun she was carrying. Well, he underestimated that gun later on. For Blanchett’s character, it was also a challenge to defeat a really sneaky professional and come out on top. She kinda did, even if she did not go completely unharmed either. Mara had also some good moments or her character I could say, like when she invites her friends again because she is alone and not happy in the big city. I still did not get how she managed to deal with with the electricity going through her body. I mean there is no biological explanation to get used to that or is there? Anyway, David Strathairn I must mention too. Another actor I like. I really think they could have done better here given the cast they had at their disposal. „They“ of course means more than Del Toro. He still really made an impact with some of the dialogue writing. You will recognize it when you see it. When Cooper’s character explains how he knew about the gun, we have one example. Another would be earlier when Dafoe’s character talks about how he tricked the geek. The exact words. Very thorough. He’s not the only one who uses this strategy.

I would have been fine with this getting a screenplay nod at the Oscars. But hey, at least Del Toro is nominated for Best Picture. Cooper also got in there as one of the producers. Del Toro made another film here that focused on bizarre creatures at times you could say. I will avoid the term „freak show“, even if it felt a bit like American Horror Story too, but there are parallels between this and The Shape of Water. Not only in terms of the people employed like the cinematographer, but the similarities are clearly visible, also in terms of the tone and atmosphere everywhere. Maybe this one here can be called a bit of a poor man’s version of The Shape of Water, even if I must say I was not a huge fan of the latter either. Oh yeah, Richard Jenkins was in that one too. Now it makes sense. I see this one here is based on a book and also a remake? Okay, I have not seen the older film then and also not read the book, so I cannot elaborate on similarities and differences, but I am sure they are there. As a standalone movie I would say that the film works for the most part. There are weaknesses, but the strengths are stronger and for a film that runs for a massive 2.5 hours even, it passed relatively quickly. Maybe I would have considered giving a higher rating here with another, maybe a better lead actor, even if Cooper was tolerable all in all. I am not sure if it was him or just the story and clothes, especially the hat, and time during which it was set, but it felt really like a film noir to me at times, even with the color. Did not need to be in black-and-white. Just my impression/opinion though.

Overall, I do think the good parts and scenes here are more frequent and memorable than those where the film was disappointing. If there were any even. Maybe it went a bit too long in the end, but I guess they could not let out somebody like Blanchett without a big show. The botched ghost moment before that was the peak quality-wise. There I thought about giving it another two stars. Stay away from the afterlife, folks! This inclusion also showed us that Cooper’s character really has no morals. Before that, he acted like some good samaritan saying he was doing Jenkins‘ character a favor even and he says he only does what every priest constantly does, so no man of God either. The consequence is that he loses it all really: the money, the girl who loved him, his reputation and also his sanity in the end. Oh yeah, the lie detector scene was not too bad either, but there I must say as well that another actor could have portrayed the moment better in which the main character turns it round and manages to get Jenkins‘ character to trust him. Sorry for not being chronological here, but I am positive you won’t mind if you saw the film. You will definitely know and recognize everything that I am talking about here. Finally, a mention to Holt McCallany. Nice to see him in here, he always has great recognition value and also turns into a tragic character in the end when it all goes wrong in the snow. The guy at the very end looked like a cleaner Machete. That’s it then. I give the film a thumbs-up and that was never in doubt. If you like Cooper more than I do, still impressive career since The Hangover, then you will maybe even really adore this film. The sets, cinematography, costumes are impossible to be indifferent about. The music was alright too. I couldn’t love this movie, but I still liked it. All the way though. Go watch.