Man or beast.
An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.
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Character
Contemplative, grave, bleak and nostalgic.
- contemplativerelentless
- gravecomic
- warmbleak
- contemporarynostalgic
- rawmeticulous
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- misubisuon TMDB · Nov 20257/10
## **Nightmare Alley (2021) Review: A Gorgeous, Grim descent That Lacks a Final Punch** Guillermo del Toro’s *Nightmare Alley* is a masterclass in atmosphere and aesthetic storytelling. This is del Toro at his most refined, trading the supernatural for a different kind of monster; the human soul. From the rain-slicked, carnival's ground mud to the cold, art deco opulence of a high-society psychiatrist's office, every frame is a painting dripping with mood and foreboding. The script, co-written by del Toro himself, is a sharp and cynical dissection of ambition, grift, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. It is, without a doubt, a compelling and beautifully crafted film. Bradley Cooper delivers a career-high performance as Stanton Carlisle, a man whose entire existence becomes a performance. His descent from a blank slate to a cunning "mentalist" to a man consumed by his own con is mesmerising to watch. The supporting cast is equally stellar, with Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, and Willem Dafoe creating a rich tapestry of damaged souls in the carnival's orbit, while Cate Blanchett arrives in the second act like a venomous, perfect storm as the psychologist Lilith Ritter. And ye
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jul 20227/10
Bradley Cooper picks up the baton from Tyrone Power (1948) as the ambitious "Stanton Carlisle", a shrewd young man who works the travelling shows with an eye for the main chance. That chance comes when he hooks up with Toni Collette's "Zeena", who shows him the tricks of their mentalist trade. Pretty soon they are fooling the great and the good - and he meets "Dr. Ritter" (Cate Blanchett). She is a psychiatrist, every bit as ambitious and ruthless as he and is content to share some of the innermost secrets of her clients with him so he can exploit their suffering. To the top of their list goes sceptical millionaire "Ezra Grindle". Together they conjure up one hell of a sting on this man - but can they succeed? This film looks great, but I found it took too long to become interesting. Cooper is handsome, but struggles with the unscrupulousness that the part needed to convey, and his scenes with Blanchett lack chemistry, indeed it is Collette who really steals the few scenes she is in - especially towards the rather twisted end of the tale. It is good, but maybe just had too much time and money and the story sacrificed some of it's soul here.
Read the whole review on TMDB - r96skon TMDB · Feb 202210/10
This is great! I loved it! <em>'Nightmare Alley'</em> is a superb watch! I particularly enjoyed the beginning and end, which are truly excellent; the middle part isn't as strong, but is still top notch in its own right. I love the dark atmosphere it sets from the get-go, the sound design is outstanding - some bits are so striking and I love it! It has a quality, engrossing story to boot. Bradley Cooper leads the cast with quality, though he isn't even the sole standout of the film. He is joined by a whole host of terrific performers: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, David Strathairn ... I could go on, simply phenomenal casting! I wanted more of them all, and yet felt I got the perfect amount too. The 150 minute run time went by incredibly quickly for me; if I hadn't known it was on for that long, I would never have guessed its length to be anywhere near that. It's a slow burn, but a slow burn done tremendously. Guillermo del Toro - this is the first film of his I've seen - & Co. did a super job, I have no complaints at all. I was toying for ages between a 9 or a 10 rating, it just about creeps its way into the latter. Just brilliant. Go wat
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Bradley CooperStanton Carlisle
- Cate BlanchettDr. Lilith Ritter
- Toni ColletteZeena the Seer
- Willem DafoeClem Hoatley
- Richard JenkinsEzra Grindle
- Rooney MaraMolly Cahill
- Ron PerlmanBruno
- Mary SteenburgenMrs. Kimball
- David StrathairnPete
- Mark PovinelliThe Major
Crew
- Guillermo del ToroDirector
- Kim MorganScreenplay
- Guillermo del ToroScreenplay
- William Lindsay GreshamNovel
- Dan LaustsenDirector of Photography
- Nathan JohnsonOriginal Music Composer
- Cam McLauchlinEditor
- Bradley CooperProducer
- J. Miles DaleProducer
- Guillermo del ToroProducer
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