Canal Winchester Messenger - December 26th, 2021

PAGE 4 - MESSENGER - December 26, 2021
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“Nightmare Alley” is not a tasty cinematic treat
Have you ever come across a recipe you
were sure you were going to love?
While you may have had reservations
about the lengthy prep time or the steps
therein, you were certain the combination
of favored ingredients would be worth the
effort, thus creating a new staple on the
menu for when you need that thing that
hits a particular spot.
Have you ever tried the recipe in question,
the one that on paper made your salivary
glands go all aflutter, and had it taste
like complete rubbish through no fault of
your own. And while you may later recognize
that the “complete rubbish” descriptor
may have been too harsh because you liked
that sprig of mint or something, the end
result was all the same — something that
was not what you wanted, not what you
needed, nor what you expected.
The experience of disappointing food is
an awful and universal feeling — my
regards to your buds if you just recently
tried a new thing and are still exorcizing
that palate — and one that can be applied to
just about any other thing that intrigues
you and ultimately lets you down. For
instance, that recipe metaphor is the
absolute best way I can think of to relay
how I felt upon watching “Nightmare
Alley.”
“Nightmare Alley” is that recipe in a
The Reel Deal
magazine or a cookbook
that catches your
eye. It paints a beautiful
and stylish picture
of its product (don’t
they all?) but what
keeps it there are the
ingredients promised
inside, all of those
darker thematic elements
you love
immersing together
for what could
Dedra
Cordle
amount to an unusual and compelling film.
But, like that recipe from above, the end
result was not something you wanted,
needed, or really expected. Instead, what
you get is a slow simmering and time consuming
mess with just enough panache to
make you not completely hate it despite
however much you may want to.
The film begins with a mysterious flourish:
a body carelessly wrapped in sheets
being dragged across a dirty, dusty floor.
The person doing the dragging is Stanton
Carlisle (played by Bradley Cooper), who
promptly lights the place on fire, but not
before donning a sweet Fedora and lighting
a cigarette as he makes his great escape. In
the silhouette of this scene, the first of
many gorgeous shots peppered throughout
the film, Stanton looks like Indiana Jones
preparing for one of his grand adventures,
but the film makes it clear from the jump
that Stanton is no hero.
Rather than rushing off into the jungle
while on the lam (the film is primarily set
in the Midwest circa the 1940’s), Stanton
finds the perfect spot in a traveling carnival
full of misfits who “pay no mind to what
you’ve done in the past.”
Initially, Stanton takes a job as a
roustabout as they go from town to town
but eventually he begins to learn the tricks
of the mentalist trade from “seer” Zeena
(Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband
Pete (David Strathairn).
After an inspired act that saves the carnival
from the wrong end of the law (think
snake oil preachers who probably bury
“stolen” money in their walls) Stanton
believes he is “ready for the big time” and
asks the sweet natured ingenue Molly
Cahill (Rooney Mara) to join him in a twoperson
swindling, er, performing act.
Two years later, the duo has established
roots in New York where they perform
shows for the wealthy in hotels. Through a
complex system of coded words, they hold
the crowd in the palm of their hands as
“The Great Stanton” sees all. What he fails
to see, or really comprehend however, is
just how much his life is going to change
when he meets the crafty psychologist Dr.
Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) and a rich
business owner who wants Stanton to use
his “skills” so he can commune with the
dead.
While director and co-writer Guillermo
del Toro has a penchant for using the
supernatural in his films, there are no true
supernatural elements in “Nightmare
Alley.”
Instead, his focus is more on the horror
the living can inflict on another being,
which in my opinion is far scarier than
anything else.
There are so many things to like, and
even love, about this movie: it has a terrific
cast who all give great performances, it’s
stylish and visually arresting, and it has a
punch in the gut ending that makes an
impact despite hints along the way that it
was bound to happen.
But for however hard this film tries to
be something new, something different and
engaging, there is a disconnect in between
how it was presented as a genuine adult
thriller and how it comes across, which is
maddeningly slow and not at all thrilling.
Grade: C
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer
and columnist.
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CHURCH
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DECEMBER, 2021
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GO GREEN THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON
Make a difference by taking small steps to reduce
waste and recycle right over the holidays.
DONATE DECORATIONS
AND LIGHTS
Instead of pitching unwanted
decorations or lights, donate them
to a local non-profit like Goodwill.
RECYCLE RIGHT
Break down cardboard boxes
and keep recyclables loose in
the curbside recycling cart.
REDUCE FOOD WASTE
Save money and landfill space by
only buying food you need, and find
creative ways to use leftovers!
It’s easy to have a green holiday.
Get more tips at SWACO.org!