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Hola amigos, buenas vibras para todos.
**Hello friends, good vibes to all.
Starting today I am going to start a section called "Road to the Oscars" where, time permitting, I will talk about the films that are nominated for the Oscars, which will be held on March 27th, 2022. To be honest I haven't had the opportunity to see any of the nominated films but that situation has changed because the first one on the list to be seen was this one, Nightmare Alley.
Here it won't matter what the critics say since I almost always do this exercise so as not to be so lost in the awards so it's almost an obligation to see all the movies no matter what. The good thing is that we started off on the right foot because I liked this story a lot, despite being an adaptation of a great classic, Guillermo del Toro manages to create a unique atmosphere with the "neo noir" style that many people may not like but in particular I really liked it. Let's talk a little bit about this mysterious plot...
This story is set back in the forties, the United States was in the middle of the war and people needed an escape for whatever reason and that's when our protagonist, Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) appears, a man who was nobody but clearly had ambitions. Escaping from his past he arrives at a circus where he begins to work in whatever comes out and in which he meets a series of very particular and unique characters that will change his life.
Among the people he meets is Molly (Rooney Mara) who captivates him the moment he sees her. As time goes by and because of different things that they will see, they manage to forge their own history and it is at that moment when Lilith Ritcher (Cate Blanchett) appears, a mysterious and enigmatic woman with whom Stanton is associated to achieve things that until now he had not been able to. Basically this is the context you need to start watching this incredible film, which I'm sure you won't regret.
Is it a love story? - Some may say yes, others may say no. I think it is, but with many tragic and problematic overtones. I think it is, but with many tragic and problematic overtones, because we see how many things they are capable of doing for that love that manifests itself. But it's also that behind that beautiful story there is another engine, one that is darker than any, money. So that's it, at the beginning the movie gets a little slow but that's because it's a preamble to what will be the most important relationships in the plot but without leaving that "weird" and uncomfortable vibe that there is in the atmosphere of a traveling fair.
As time goes by we begin to really immerse ourselves in the story and this is what I liked most about the film, there is no need for big action scenes, etc., to capture the interest of the viewer, just create a good atmosphere and sow the seed of expectation and intrigue for it alone to do the job. I wouldn't say it's horror as such, it's more of a drama with large doses of psychological suspense where all this is surrounded by crime. There is a perennial tension in almost the entire film, it's like a strange aura that something is about to happen but you don't know when, a feeling that I personally enjoy a lot in movies.
Other things that are also here are the "plot twists", there are a couple that really take you completely out of the place from where you had been handling the film to leave you totally bewildered, at least that was my case. Those changes that NOBODY expects but that happen, when they are well elaborated, can radically change the perception of the film and here they change it for the better.
Let's talk about the casting and why it's one of the best I've seen in a while. It is a film full of stars where apart from Bradley, who we all know is a very good actor although some say otherwise, the spotlight is on Cate Blanchett; at some point I said that she was one of the best actresses the industry currently has and every time I see her work more and more I confirm that. A sober character but you know that behind that facade there is something disturbing hidden, something that she knows how to exploit when necessary and use it when it suits her. Cate is everything good that cinema has, without a doubt.
But we also have Willem Defoe, Toni Collete, Ron Perlman and Andrew Shaver who is a recurrent in Guillermo del Toro's films, we saw him in The Shape of Water. The truth is a first class cast where ALL have a special role and leave a mark in this story, especially Shaver, who presented such a dark and macabre character in this plot.
An incredible and fascinating film as only Guillermo del Toro could make it. Full of eccentricities, mystery, gloomy and strange environments, characters that we could only see in the universe of Del Toro, a suspense that traps you because it is the one that plays with your mind, in short, all the ingredients of a film that is well worth a look. I don't know if it will win the Oscar, I honestly don't think so and I haven't seen all the films, but I repeat, it is a good adaptation of the famous classic.
Here I'm going with an 8/10 because there are movies out there that I have given 7.5 that are much worse than this one. But I really give it because for me it's worth it, I never lost interest, the plot as it progresses becomes something difficult to stop watching, the sudden changes in the plot are jewels and the ending, friends, very, very good ending, one of those that personally in my possible scenarios I never imagined. The film has a running time of approximately two and a half hours. I leave you the trailer to encourage you to watch it.
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Bueno mi gente por hoy es todo, espero que les haya gustado. ¡Un abrazo a todos, nos vemos en la próxima!
***Well my people that's all for today, I hope you liked it. ¡A hug to everyone, see you next time!
