Nightmare Alley

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, David Strathairn, Mary Steenburgen, Peter MacNeill, Holt McCallany, Paul Anderson, Jim Beaver, Clifton Collins, Jr., Tim Blake Nelson
Running Time: 150 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Part remake, part noir homage, Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley will likely go down as one of those more respectable reimaginings that gets more right than wrong, making for an immersive, entirely agreeable experience. Free of the supernatural elements that have categorized much of del Toro's work, all the attention shifts to the soullessness and moral corruption that resides within. And there isn't a much better a setting for that than traveling sideshow carnivals of the 30's and 40's, populated by downtrodden characters being either used, abused or manipulated as scams and cons run amok. With a script from del Toro and co-writer Kim Morgan, the second feature adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel doesn't stray too far from the source material in the narrative sense, instead stylistically distinguishing itself in a class of its own, as del Toro's output tends to. 

With a stacked, all-star-cast and awe inspiring production design, the plot's essentially one long con game, and while the second half payoff's considerably more impactful than what precedes it, the whole setup looks better in retrospect, especially once the story arrives at its inevitably tragic destination. There's a certain aesthetic superficiality at play that matches its characters, so even while it doesn't transcend the horror genre to evolve into something more profound, you'd still be hard-pressed to find a a movie of its ilk more technically proficient or firing on as many cylinders.

It's 1939 and Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) takes a job as a carny after burning down his house with a dead body inside. When the carnival's owner, Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe) recruits him to help with the show's geek, who's fallen ill, Stan moves up to begin working with clairvoyant Madame Zeena (Toni Colette) and her alcoholic husband, Pete Krumbein (David Strathairn), who teaches him the secrets of their act. While learning and studying their cold reading and coded language tactics, he begins to fall for shy performer Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara), offering up some valuable new ideas for her electrocution act. But after Pete dies from consuming wood alcohol, Stan takes the lessons he's learned on the road with Molly as his assistant, leaving their carnival days behind to reinvent himself as a psychic act for Buffalo's wealthy elite. 

Ignoring Pete's warnings about leading people on when it comes to contacting the deceased, Stan's bluff is called by mysterious psychologist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), who attempts to publicly expose  his act as a fraud, with little success. Humiliated but intrigued by the scammer, she offers him a deal involving a rich but potentially dangerous patient named Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins) whose lover died years ago from a forced abortion. Despite Molly's objections, Stan makes promises to Grindle about his late partner he may not be able to keep, ensnaring himself in a web of lies and deceit from which there may be no escape. 

What makes this all mostly work is that there's just enough revelations and twists in the script, while still remaining relatively simple at its core. Themes of greed, avarice and betrayal are front and center, eventually coming full circle in a powerful ending, but not before some convoluted happenings occur along the way. Del Toro strikes just the right tone, especially in the early carnival scenes that set Stan on his dark path, eventually dragging Mara's Molly down along with him, though she admittedly registers a bit flat as a character.

Cooper's incredibly effective depiction of the protagonist's transformation from wide-eyed, ambitious awe into obsessive greediness is facilitated by the supporting cast. Whether it's Strathairn's hopeless drunk, Collette's tarot reader or Dafoe's swindling huckster, they all more than carry their share of the load. As does Tamara Deverell's production design and Dan Laustsen's cinematography, which immerses them all in this weathered, dirty, depressing "freak show" world. That this was also released in black and white actually makes a lot of sense, as it's hard to think of any recent picture with a content and visual style better suited to that treatment without it feeling like a gimmick. 

It isn't until Stan takes his act on the road with Molly and encounters Dr. Ritter that the movie really comes alive, with the possibility presenting itself that the ultimate player has finally met his match.  Blanchett's femme fatale looms largest of any character, bringing a cunning, seductive sense of danger and intrigue to Ritter with each carefully calculated move she makes. Her nomination-worthy performance is the ideal fit for this material, with the chemistry she shares with Cooper fueling the film's most tension-filled moments, even as it's clear the direction del Toro's heading in the last act. 

There are clues and brief flashbacks emphasizing a past Stan needs to run far away from, but can't, no matter how hard he tries. With this mentalist show, he's devised a one-way ticket to the big time, unaware his own weaknesses are about to be exploited and exposed as callously as his clients have been by him. What starts as a scheme goes entirely too far, his eventual comeuppance arriving in the final scene, sentenced to the very life he so desperately tried to escape, at any cost imaginable.    

Even as Del Toro's direction trumps the script, you'd often never know it, as the atmosphere and performances carry the day, specifically Bradley Cooper's. Further extending his run as maybe the most consistently reliable actor and movie star working today, he delivers again with his portrayal of this ambitious, narcissistic carny more than willing to sell his soul, or anyone else's, for a quick buck. Relentlessly depressing and darkly humorous, Nightmare may not be for all tastes, but it's still a keeper, likely to be revisited down the line as something slightly more accomplished than its critical and commercial reputation suggests.  

Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn 
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman 
Running Time: 100 min. 
Rating: R  

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

I guess there really is a first time for everything. Watching Drive I was so shocked by the nature of the violence I nearly had to turn away. This seems like a strange reaction given there isn't necessarily a huge amount. Many movies have more. It's all about context. Slow, methodical and hypnotizing, the film builds a groundswell of tension, meticulously exploring every character and emotion until the violence finally arrives. And when it arrives, it's scary as hell. Because we care about the characters, the over-the-top carnage becomes that much more unsettling. Half set-up, the other half pay-off, director Nicolas Winding Refn uses spare parts from decades past to construct a compelling crime drama that's substance is its style. A likely modern classic that actually places demands on its audience, it's a virtual a love letter to the movies that couldn't come at a better time. Those claiming the film's enamored with its own coolness aren't completely wrong, just neglect to mention it earns the right by actually being that cool.

Far from your typical action thriller it stars Ryan Gosling whose nameless Driver finds himself at the center of a gathering storm. The plot is as bare bones as it gets, relying on a unfortunate coincidence that spirals out of control. As a mechanic and part-time stunt driver for B-movies who moonlights as a getaway man, Driver's precision and attention to detail is on full display in a brilliant prologue where he helps two burglars evade the cops. The entire sequence, set to Cliff Martinez's retro infused synthesizer score lays out the ground rules and takes us into his isolated world, soon to be shattered. Just as he falls hard for his new neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and befriends her young son Benecio (Kaden Leos), her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison and wants to make amends, but he's made a few enemies who are now threatening his family's safety. Out of unspoken loyalty to Irene and Benecio, Driver agrees to a dangerous robbery that goes horribly wrong, engulfing him in a cat-and-mouse game where he must risk his life to protect them. At the same time he's also recruited to do some racing for friend and boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston) who makes a crooked deal with former movie producer Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and his sleazy associate Nino (Ron Perlman). 

When you strip the narrative down to its bare essentials it's a crime thriller populated with the kinds of characters we're used to seeing take a backseat to computer generated effects, high-speed chases and explosions. We get dozens of those every year, some worse than others, with only a few standing out from the pack. Refn instead takes a methodical, atmospheric approach and there's a good chance more casual moviegoers used to being slammed with action in the face at a mile a minute will find it slow and boring. They're entitled to their opinion, but may want to consider the alternative which would have provided a quick high before completely fading from the memory. If anything, this is the kind of film guaranteed to grow in stature over repeated viewings since it's only after you've witnessed the mayhem unleashed in the second half does everything leading up to it seem that much more tragic.

Driver is an action hero in the mold of a Steve McQueen or Clint Eastwood in that he lets his actions do the talking but Gosling does something different with the character that goes well beyond that. He suggests Driver could be a shy introvert that behaves how he does not as a tactic, but because it's who he is. You get the impression something may even be socially off with him and that the emotional connection he forms with this mother and her son could be the closest thing he's had to a real connection with anyone in his life. In fact, he's so quiet and reserved there are moments where we question whether he has feelings for Irene at all beyond just helping, and if he does, whether he's interested or even capable of acting on them. There are a lot of ways to read their relationship and it helps having two top pros in Gosling and Mulligan, conveying more in long stretches of silence than most other actors can with pages of dialogue. Just him stopping over at her apartment for a glass of water feels like an epic event.

While Gosling isn't big in stature, he registers just the right kind of intensity for the role, never making Driver seem flustered, even when he's delivering or receiving the bloodiest of beatdowns. One of the biggest downfalls of recent action movies is the rise of the "pretty boy" plugged in as an insufficient lead to sell tickets instead of kick ass. He proves here beyond a doubt he isn't that and after teetering on the brink of super greatness for a while now, gives the performance that pushes him over the edge into the upper echelon, solidifying him among the best of his generation.  Many have already pointed out that Mulligan seems miscast as Irene and that's exactly the point. It's an intentional miscast meant to throw us off balance as no one would expect the actress who radiates as much warmth and innocence to be trapped in the middle of this dirty, sadistic L.A. underworld. Had anyone else played the role it's likely I wouldn't have cared but her presence transforms a part that's too often one-dimensional in crime thrillers. It's no mystery why Driver seems to instantly fall for her and is willing to sacrifice everything to keep her and Benecio safe.

Cast even more heavily against type, legendary comedian Albert Brooks is absolutely terrifying as mob boss Bernie Rose. He's only in a few choice scenes, but boy are they disturbing, especially one he shares with Cranston so tense it's almost difficult to watch. Abandoning his usual comic persona, his character's the embodiment of pure evil and his slick, cold, business-like demeanor is the antithesis of Gosling's everyman hero. Given the rare opportunity to sink his teeth into a vastly different kind of role, it's a thrill seeing Brooks subvert expectations, providing an uncomfortable contrast in a film that completely revolving around uncomfortable contrasts. It wouldn't be off the mark to describe it as an 80's style romance that careens into blood soaked tragedy. That Refn can make those two wildly divergent genres co-exist in perfect harmony is perplexing but the neon pink opening titles and retro electronic pop soundtrack (featuring Kavinsky's "Night Call" and even more memorably College's "A Real Hero") not only fit right in, but feel just as integral to the story as the characters themselves.

This is exactly the kind of movie you can picture Quentin Tarantino kicking himself for not attempting. Could he do it as well?  Possibly, but he'd have to curb his penchant for having his characters talk about how cool it is they're in it rather than building tension and suspense. This is the result when the right director, cast and material all come together at once, and it's poor box office performance isn't a huge surprise given the polarizing risks Refn takes. It's just too challenging, representing the type of film mainstream audiences have been programmed to hate after being weened on truckloads of generic Hollywood garbage each year. Now when something's finally done right, it feels wrong, if only for daring to be different. Drawing from a myriad of influences that suggest it was transported from another era, Drive still feels wholly authentic and original, proving that action and violence mean little without an investment in the characters.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Luke Goss. Anna Walton, John Hurt
Running Time: 120 min.
Rating: PG-13

***1/2 (out of ****)

In case you didn't hear, 2008 is the year of the superhero film. The most recent entry, Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army was the one I was looking forward to the least. More accurately, I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. I enjoyed the 2004 film for what is was but it didn’t strike me as a story that needed to be continued and I definitely could have lived without seeing any of the characters on the big screen again. But since this is a comic book character with a solid fan base and the film brought in a modest amount of money its sequel was inevitable.

Burnt out on superhero films already I had to force myself to watch this, and that I ended up enjoying it so much despite my attitude going in speaks volumes. This film does everything a sequel should, then takes a few steps further and does even more than that. The story is more interesting, the characters evolve and deepen and the sense of wonder that was hinted at in the original is fully realized. Like the best sequels, seeing the previous film isn’t a prerequisite to enjoying it. Those unfamiliar with the character’s history may actually enjoy it more, because they can just lose themselves in the wonder of it all and not nitpick the details. It’s also more involving than the two other superhero outings this summer, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk (The Dark Knight shouldn't be considered a superhero film).
I’m now convinced this franchise, which on paper boasts a ridiculous and unfilmable premise, is successful because of Del Toro, and if anyone else directed it would be a failure. The guy just gets it. Watching, I was reminded of Star Wars, only not the torturous prequels George Lucas inflicted on us, but the real thing. If Lucas saw this film it would probably be a wake-up call and a reminder of what he used to do well. He could learn something. And if he ever got the itch to revisit that classic series (which isn’t out of the realm of possibility) Del Toro would be the only filmmaker capable of making it work. He proves it here. When it ended I had only one question: "When is Hellboy III?"

In a brief prologue, young Hellboy’s adoptive father (John Hurt) tells him the legend of The Golden Army, essentially a band of mechanical monster soldiers once called upon to wreck havoc on humanity. And now, centuries later and after laying dormant for years, the evil elf Prince Nuada (Luke Gross) looks to recover the three pieces of the golden crown, that if assembled, gives him control over the Golden Army, the potential consequences of which are very, very bad. Family loyalty isn’t exactly high on the Prince’s priority list and he’s determined to do whatever it takes to get the third piece of that crown from his disapproving twin sister, Nuala (Anna Walton). She needs help.

Enter New Jersey’s “Bureau of Paranormal Research and Development” which includes the wise cracking cigar chomping Hellboy (Ron Perlman), his girlfriend Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), who’s pretty normal save for the fact that she spontaneously bursts into flames at a moment’s notice, and his amphibious sidekick Abe Sapien (Doug Jones). And of course there’s their boss, Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) who can’t control any of them so this time brings in snooty know-it-all Johann Kraus (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). He ends up being a welcome addition and serves the story well. Together they have to stop the elf Prince from getting his hands on the missing piece from his sister and unleashing the Army.

Nearly all the effects in this movie are CGI and for a change it’s actually necessary to announce that because it isn’t glaringly obvious. This is good CGI, not the kind you saw in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In other words, it looks real and doesn’t call attention to itself or take you out of the movie. It draws you in. You have to wonder how Del Toro is able to do this so effectively while big names like Lucas and Spielberg (who are working within a massive budget) look like they’re making cheap video games. And because the effects scenes are handled with intelligence and restraint the rest of the film ends up coming off better as a result.

Some of these scenes are just jaw-dropping, specifically a street fight with a giant mutant plant known as the Elemental Forest God and the climactic battle that closes the film. A visit to the Troll Market recalls the cantina scene in Star Wars in visual detail as much as setting. It would have been easy for Del Toro and co-writer/comic creator Mike Mignola to just rest on their laurels when it comes to story and get away with it since the film looks so good but they don’t compromise there either.

Sequels to comic book movies are hard because once you get past the origin story (where most of the interest lies) there’s the question of what's left. That initial feeling of discovery for the audience where we watch the protagonist get to know themselves and their abilities are gone and a new plot has to be concocted, seemingly out of thin air. And it’s difficult deciding not only where to take your hero, but the supporting characters as well. That’s why so many sequels in this genre fail.

Here a cleverly fashioned plot takes advantage of Hellboy coming to grips with his identity and having somewhat of a public relations problem. He and Liz are now a bickering couple, which should be very annoying, yet isn’t because Perlman and Blair are so entertaining together. The performance of Perlman is destined to go underappreciated since its masked under CGI and pounds of makeup. It’s almost impossible to believe there’s actually an actor under there, a sign Perlman was born to do this. He adds the humor, which is integral to the series, setting it apart in a genre that usually basks in dreariness. And you have to love any superhero movie that features a drunken Barry Manilow sing-along.
Liz was already the rarest of superhero love interests in that she was an independent thinker who actually did something. That’s improved upon even further here, as she’s now a full-fledged ass-kicking heroin who does what she wants. If anything, Hellboy has to lean on her for guidance. And Abe, a pretty forgettable second-hand in the previous film, is given an excellent supporting story that lets us know more about him as a character. I hardly remember a thing he did in the original but he nearly steals the show in this. The entire plot is very much of the fantasy nature and doesn’t contain a great deal of depth but for what it is it’s very tightly constructed and doesn’t hit many wrong notes. But while the writing delivers, its Del Toro’s direction that holds it all together so well.

I had ZERO interest in seeing this and know next to nothing about Hellboy as a comic character, so if I like this that much then actual fans are in for a huge treat. Why the director of 2006’s Academy Award nominated Pan’s Labyrinth would use his newfound clout to direct a sequel to what was only a mildly successful superhero film was a mystery to me. Now it isn’t. Del Toro knew he could make it better and it’s because of filmmakers like him that these types of movies are of a higher quality than ever before.

The past year in cinema has proven that he word “sequel” no longer has to have a negative connotation if the person behind the camera knows what they’re doing. We’ll get sequels for Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk and I’ll watch and probably enjoy them. But I can’t say that they’d be necessary. With Hellboy II, Del Toro has actually earned the right to continue and I’m anxious to see where he takes us next.