A neo-noir visual feast, this is about a 1940s drifter (Bradley Cooper) who joins the circus and moves up the ranks to make a name for himself. I didn't expect to like it so was pleasantly surprised. Jack liked it, too, even though it definitely should have been shorter (what's up with these 2:30+ movies??).
Director Guillermo del Toro co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Morgan, and they have said that this is not a remake of Nightmare Alley (1947), but a re-adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel.
I'm streaming Nathan Johnson's score on Apple Music as I type.
Many nominations are on hand for this one (here's a list of selected races), including the gorgeous cinematography by Dan Laustsen, production design by Tamara Deverell, and costumes by Luis Sequeira.
The city of Buffalo mostly represents itself, with various Canadian stand-ins. Most noteworthy is the magnificent art deco Walter J. Mahoney New York State office building in Buffalo. Further research shows that the building was sold at auction to a developer who may turn it into a hotel. If it's demolished I'll be furious! This link contains a video showing some of its beautiful features.
Cooper was last blogged for A Star Is Born, Collette for Dream Horse, Dafoe for The Card Counter, Mara for Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, Strathairn for Nomadland, Jenkins for The Humans, Blanchett for Don't Look Up, del Toro and Laustsen for The Shape of Water, and Johnson for Knives Out,
Morgan is del Toro's wife and makes her feature screenwriting debut here. Deverell and Sequeira both worked on The Shape of Water and have a number of other credits.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences, averaging 79 and 68% respectively, are tossing and turning. We watched it on February 9 on HBO Max.
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