Guillermo del Toro wanted to do a film noir but the result is not convincing. By ridiculously overstretching the film's runtime and drenching the story of every possible hint of comic relief but grotesquely accentuating the melodramatic instead he produced a film noir parody. It's a shame because the film is a feast for the eyes: the cinematography is breathtaking, the sets are stunning, the costumes are ravishing. And acting talent wherever you look. So what went wrong? The film begins fine enough with twenty minutes of fast action, little dialogue, convincing images. But then the plodding begins: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, mostly written in tired cliches, delivered with as little emotion as possible, lacking motivation, presenting cardboard characters. Of course there are treasures here: Mary Steenburgen's moving cameo as a grief-stricken mother, Richard Jenkins turn as a monster with a conscience, the brilliant final scene. Apart from that: beautiful boredom.
Review of Nightmare Alley
