Nightmare Alley (2021 film)

 

Based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley is the story of an ambitious carny who rises from being in a low-level circus to becoming a top mind-reader has him dealing with a psychiatrist who proves to be as dangerous as he is where they embark on a dangerous scheme. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and screenplay by del Toro and Kim Morgan, the film is a different take on Gresham’s novel in its exploration of human nature and how humans can become monsters as it had been previously made by Edmund Goulding that starred Tyrone Powell, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, and Helen Walker that explore the dark side of grief and the power to manipulate. Starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, David Strathairn, Richard Jenkins, Willem Dafoe, Mary Steenburgen, and Ron Perlman. Nightmare Alley is a ravishing yet eerie film from Guillermo del Toro.

Set in the late 1930s/early 1940s, the film follows a man who starts off as a carny for a low-level circus where he learns the art of mind-reading that he uses to become a top mind-reader in big cities only to attract the attention of a devious psychiatrist who helps him take part on a big scheme. It is a film that explore this man who is ambitious as he believes he has something that can make him a lot of money but ends up meeting someone who is more ambitious but also far more sinister. The film’s screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan is straightforward as it is more based on Gresham’s novel with elements of the 1947 film by Edmund Goulding that featured Jules Furthman’s screenplay as it relates to these ideas that the film’s protagonist in Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) as he finds himself in a circus after burning down a house with the body of his late father where he sees what it has and takes a job as a carney.

The first act is about Carlisle’s time as a carny where he meets the clairvoyant Zeena Krumbein (Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband Pete (David Strathairn) where Carlisle learns from the latter about their act while he proves to be loyal to the group when he helps out its owner Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe) who would give Carlisle a job after helping to handle a troubled circus geek. Carlisle also befriends another performer in Molly (Rooney Mara) who would later join Carlisle in his own version of the clairvoyant act though Zeena and Pete warned him about going too far as the film’s second act takes place in late 1941 where Carlisle becomes successful in his act with Molly. The second act would also introduce the character of Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who is intrigued by his act after fooling an acquaintance of hers where she decides to collaborate with him on a scheme on the reclusive millionaire Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins) that makes Molly uneasy.

Guillermo del Toro’s direction definitely does pay homage to Goulding’s film in some bits but much of it is entrancing in his presentation of the late 1930s/early 1940s as it was shot on location in and around Toronto as well as additional locations in Buffalo, New York including its city hall. The direction has del Toro definitely emphasize a lot on tracking shots to get a look into the carnival while having Carlisle early in the film not say much as he just stumbles into the circus out of curiosity where he just looks at an act and then walks out to check what else is out there. The usage of wide and medium shots allows del Toro to showcase the scope of the carnival that Carlisle is in as well as a scene where Carlisle and Clem go after a geek inside a monster house as it is one of these great set pieces in the film. The scenes during the second act in these posh restaurants where Carlisle and Molly are doing their act also has a lot of space in the visuals while del Toro also knows when to use close-ups to play into the suspense and drama. The film also has del Toro play into the dangers of what Carlisle is doing as both Zeena and Pete had warned about going too far into people’s grief as it would be a key factor for the film’s third act.

Notably in a scene where Zeena, the strongman Bruno (Ron Perlman), and diminutive Major Mosquito (Mark Povinelli) visit Carlisle and Molly with prompting from the latter where Zeena uses her tarot cards and warned Carlisle of what he’s doing. The third act that is about Carlisle’s scheme with Dr. Ritter on Grindle as it involves Grindle’s own sense of loss and guilt as the scheme would involve Molly who realizes what is going on. It all plays into not just the downside of greed and manipulation but also how far people are willing to go get closure on their grief as it relates to news on someone Carlisle did a séance for. Its aftermath is dark into not just the fact that Carlisle went too far but also the fact that there’s people who are much worse than Carlisle who will do whatever to exploit people’s grief. Its ending is about the fate of those who are lost as it relates to the troubled geek that Carlisle tried to subdue early in the film as it relates to people and monsters. Overall, del Toro crafts a haunting yet evocative film about an ambitious carny whose ambition as false clairvoyant leads him into a path of darkness.

Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of lush colors and low-key natural lighting to emphasize on its dark tone but also in some of the beauty in the desolate locations they’re in that is a direct contrast to the more stylish look in the city and at Grindle’s home. Editor Cam McLauchlin does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, transition wipes, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Tamara Deverell, with set decorator Shane Vieau and supervising art director Brandt Gordon, does phenomenal work with the look of the carnival as well as Clem’s massive collection of fetuses in mason jars, some of the carnival attractions, and Dr. Ritter’s office as the attention to detail in the rooms is a major highlight of the film. Costume designer Luis Sequeira does amazing work with the costumes from the red coat and beret that Molly wears in the second/third act as well as some of her casual clothing to the more refined gowns that Dr. Ritter wears along with the ragged to refined suits the men wear.

Hair designer Cliona Furey and makeup designer Jo-Ann MacNeill, with special makeup effects supervisor Mike Hill, do excellent work with the look of the characters from the different hairstyles from the women to a few of the gory elements in some of the violence that Hill would create. Special effects supervisors Michael Innanen, Shane Mahan, Philippe Maurais, and Shane Million, with visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi, do terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to a few bits involving fire as well as Molly’s act as a woman who works with electricity as it is largely minimal except in some of the film’s violent moments. Sound editors Jill Purdy and Nathan Robitaille do superb work with the sound as it play into the way certain machines sound as well as how police sirens sound from afar as well as Dr. Ritter’s own recording equipment as it add a lot of drama and suspense into the film. The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is brilliant for its low-key orchestral score with elements of big-band jazz in some bits as it play into the music of the times with its soundtrack also featuring a lot of the standards that were popular in that period.

The casting by Robin D. Cook is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles that includes a cameo appearance from Tyrone Powell’s daughter Romina as a viewer of one of Carlisle’s show at the posh dining hall as well as notable small roles from Dian Bachar as a carnival performer, Paul Anderson as the geek that Carlisle tries to subdue early in the film, Lara Jean Chorostecki as Clem’s wife Louise, Stephen McHattie as a hobo late in the film, Troy James as a carnival performer known as the Snake Man, Clifton Collins Jr. as the carnival barker/musician Funhouse Jack, Bill MacDonald as Carlisle’s ailing father who is seen in flashbacks, Jim Beaver as a local sheriff who is trying to stop the carnival because of the skimpy clothing Molly is wearing, Mark Povinelli as a dwarf-carny who helps out in various performances including Molly’s act, Tim Blake Nelson as a carnival owner that appears late in the film, Peter MacNeill as Judge Kimball who is intrigued by Carlisle’s gift as he seeks help in relation to his late son, Holt McCallany as Grindle’s bodyguard Anderson who is suspicious towards Carlisle as he is protective of Grindle, and Mary Steenburgen in a small yet superb role as Judge Kimball’s wife as a woman who is still reeling with loss over her son.

Ron Perlman is fantastic as the strongman Bruno who is like a father figure to Molly as he knew her father as he is unsure of Carlisle’s intention towards her. David Strathairn is excellent as Pete Krumbein as an alcoholic performer who was once a great clairvoyant with a system of his own as he teaches Carlisle what to do but also warns him on what not to do. Richard Jenkins is brilliant as Ezra Grindle as a reclusive millionaire who is fascinated by Carlisle’s gift as it relates to a former lover he mourns dearly as he was once a patient of Dr. Ritter as he is the target of a scheme they’ve created as he is also a man with a very dark past. Willem Dafoe is amazing as Clem as a carnival owner who hires Carlisle as he shows him the ropes of what goes on as he also sees potential in Carlisle while being the owner of a bunch of dead fetuses in mason jars. Toni Collette is incredible as the clairvoyant performer Zeena Krumbein who takes has Carlisle working for her in helping her act while is also intrigued by him while later warning him about what he’s doing as well as reveal that he is headed for serious trouble.

Rooney Mara is remarkable as Molly Cahill as a carnival performer who works with electrical currents as part of her act as she falls for Carlisle where she joins him as his assistant while becoming troubled by his ambitions as she reluctantly takes part of his scheme only to become homesick towards the carnival family who cared for her. Cate Blanchett is tremendous as Dr. Lilith Ritter as a devious yet charismatic psychiatrist who is fascinated by Carlisle’s gift as she would seduce him to team up but also know that she is able to outsmart him. Finally, there’s Bradley Cooper in a phenomenal performance as Stanton Carlisle as this man who starts off as a low-level carny to becoming this in-demand clairvoyant who eventually becomes greedy in his ambitions where Cooper does display a lot of quiet observation early in the film but also a man that is filled guilt in his climb only to try and do something big that would eventually be his downfall as it is a career-defining performance from Cooper.

Nightmare Alley is a sensational film from Guillermo del Toro that features great performances from Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara. Along with its ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, evocative art direction, its exploration on the ideas of loss and greed, and its luscious music score. The film is definitely a fascinating suspense-drama that is a tribute of sorts to the 1947 Edmund Goulding film but also its own beast as it play into del Toro’s fascination with humanity and their monstrous elements. In the end, Nightmare Alley is a phenomenal film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Hellboy - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - Crimson Peak - The Shape of Water - Pinocchio (2022 film)

Related: Nightmare Alley (1947 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2022

Crimson Peak

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins, Crimson Peak is the story of a young woman who marries an aristocrat as she moves into her husband’s mansion as it is filled with ghosts and other things. The film plays into a woman with an interest in the supernatural as she gets more than she bargains for in her new life. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver. Crimson Peak is an entrancing yet eerie film from Guillermo del Toro.

Set in the early 20th Century, the film revolves around a young author who meets a British aristocrat as she falls for him where they later marry where she would live into his decayed mansion with his sister as the home is filled with ghosts and other mysterious things. It’s a film that plays into a young woman who has been fascinated with ghosts since she was a child as she wants to write stories with ghosts. Upon meeting this aristocrat, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) is intrigued by this man though appearance in clothing and other eccentricities raises the suspicions of her father (Jim Beaver) and family friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam). Once she marries Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves into their home, many mysterious occurs as well as the treatment she is receiving from his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain).

The film’s screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins doesn’t just play into Edith’s fascination with ghosts but also with those that don’t play by conventional behavior or play by certain rules. It’s among the reasons why she would be attracted to someone like Thomas as he wears clothes that are out of style while having ideas that seem to be very radical. While Edith’s father is aware of what Thomas wants, he is suspicious about him and his sister as he asks for some investigation into who the Sharpes are. Upon realizing what they’re up to, things don’t go as they’re planned once Edith marries Thomas where she does question the things that go on in the house as well as other odd things. Thomas and Lucille Sharpe are strange not just for the Gothic clothes they wear but also in the house they live which is decaying and in need of work.

While the two do share ideas of what they want to, Thomas is the kinder of the two where it seems like he is falling for Edith for her money but he becomes more fascinated with her as the story progresses. Lucille however, is a very troubling woman as someone who has a very dark demeanor as she doesn’t seem to like having Edith around where she always gives her tea and pretend to be very kind towards her. Yet, even she knows that Edith knows what they’re probably up to which adds a much darker edge to her character. Once more revelations towards the Sharpe are unveiled, the story definitely becomes more engaging in terms of the drama and the stakes that occur. Though it does deviate from many of the conventions that is expected in horror, del Toro and Robbins do make it more about the setting and the relationship of the characters rather than going for the big scares.

Guillermo del Toro’s direction definitely owes a lot to not just Gothic imagery and set pieces but also mythological elements that explores the idea of ghosts and what they want. While it doesn’t play towards many of the conventions of horror in terms of big scares, del Toro is more concerned with the story as it relates to Edith’s own fascination with ghosts and her need to find more in her somewhat sheltered existence as a writer. Shot largely in Toronto as both Buffalo, New York and as England, the film maintains this look that is quite unique from the sepia-drenched look of Buffalo where everything feels modern and progressing as opposed to the world of the Sharpes which represents the old world that is decaying and trying to catch up with the modern world. The usage of the wide and medium shots gives del Toro the chance to breathe life into these landscapes with some unique tracking shots for many of those exteriors.

For the scenes set in England, del Toro definitely plays up the Gothic tone of the film where he knows how to create suspense as it relates to the ghosts that Edith encounters. It’s mixture of terror and mystery definitely play into the home of the Sharpes where it is a home is surrounded by red mud that is covered in snow and a basement filled with more red mud. The direction would have del Toro create some unique images but also a sense of dread which doesn’t just relate to the Sharpes and their past but also what is happening to Edith. Once the mysteries relating to the Sharpes are unveiled, the film does take on a darker yet more dramatic tone where lots of conflicts would occur as it’s not just about love but also death. Overall, del Toro crafts a mesmerizing yet thrilling film about a young woman’s marriage to an aristocrat and her encounter with dark spirits in the new home she moves into.

Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does phenomenal work with the film‘s ravishing cinematography from its usage of candles to maintain an atmosphere in some of the interior scenes as well as the usage of sepia-drenched colors for many of the scenes set in Buffalo along with the usage of blue at the Sharpes‘ mansion. Editor Bernat Vilaplana does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of transition wipes as well as jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into its suspense and drama. Production designer Thomas E. Sanders, with art director Brandt Gordon and set decorators Jeffrey A. Melvin and Shane Vieau, does amazing work with the set design from the home of Edith lived in Buffalo to the many rooms and exterior setting at the Sharpes‘ family home. Costume designer Kate Hawley does excellent work with the clothes from the clothes that the men wear to the gowns that the women wear including the very colorful yet eerie dresses that Lucille wears.

Special effects makeup artists Jason Detheridge, Nacho Diaz, and Neil Morrill do fantastic work with the look of the makeup of some of the gore that occurs in a few characters including the hairstyles that Edith and Lucille sport. Visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi do excellent work with the visual effects from the design of the ghosts as it has this very eerie yet evocative look to them that is scary but also entrancing. Sound editor Dennis Leonard and sound designer Randy Thom do superb work with the sound in creating some unique sound effects for the ghosts as well as creating some mixing for some of the atmospheric textures for its suspenseful moments. The film’s music by Fernando Velazquez does remarkable work with the music as it is this lush orchestral music that plays into the drama and suspense which features a mixture of string arrangements and piano pieces while music supervisors Peter Afterman and Margaret Yen provide some classical music that Lucille would often play.

The casting by Robin D. Cook does wonderful work with the casting as it features some notable small roles from Leslie Hope as Dr. McMichael’s mother, Emily Coutts as Dr. McMichael’s sister, Burn Gorman as an inspector named Holly that Edith’s father hired to find out about the Sharpes, Sofia Wells as the young Edith, and as ghosts, Doug Jones and Javier Botet who both provide their physical selves for movements of the ghosts. Jim Beaver is excellent as Edith’s father Carter Cushing as a self-made man who is suspicious about the Sharpes’ as he is more concerned for Edith’s safety and happiness as it’s a very engaging performance from the veteran actor. Charlie Hunnam is fantastic as Dr. Alan McMichael as a childhood friend of Edith who knows a lot about bodies and such where he is also suspicious of the Sharpes’ where his investigation about them would have him come to England.

Jessica Chastain is incredible as Lucille Sharpe as this woman who is reluctant about having Edith in her family as it becomes clear that she doesn’t really like her as it’s a performance that is very dark and also quite scary at times where Chastain goes all out towards the film’s third act as it is definitely one of Chastain’s finest performances. Tom Hiddleston is brilliant as Thomas Sharpe as a baronet who falls for Edith as he brings her to England while hoping some of her financial connections could help him with his mining machine as it’s an ambiguous performance which has Hiddleston showing some conflict in his devotion towards Lucille and love for Edith. Finally, there’s Mia Wasikowska in an amazing performance as Edith Cushing as an aspiring writer who falls for the mysterious Thomas Sharpe where she moves into his home and encounter ghosts which only furthers her fascination with them while dealing with the darker aspects of her home as it’s one of Wasikowska’s finest performances.

Crimson Peak is a phenomenal film from Guillermo del Toro. Featuring a great cast, dazzling visuals, a sumptuous score, and an entrancing story. The film is a very unusual yet enthralling one from del Toro that doesn’t play into the conventions of horror while bending all sorts of genres to create something that is very different. In the end, Crimson Peak is a sensational film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic/Mimic (Director's Cut) - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Hellboy - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - The Shape of Water - Nightmare Alley (2021 film) - Pinocchio (2022 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2015