There are two movies within Searchlight Pictures’ “Nightmare Alley.” One makes eight-time nominee Bradley Cooper a long overdue Oscar winner. The other would add another statue to…
. Depending on which one entices an Academy voter, they could fall for one, both or neither of the options. The darkly complex and gruesome outing may prove to be more difficult for some conservative movie-goers to take in. At minimum, the race for best production design may have just ended tonight.
The directing branch, along with the rest of Hollywood adores the essence of Guillermo del Toro. No one makes movies the way he does, and this feels like one of his most audacious outings as a filmmaker, something the Academy likes to recognize. Rooney Mara, reuniting with her “Carol” co-star Blanchett, is wonderful as she tends to be. However, a lead actress campaign was not the correct choice. Positioning Mara in the best actress race seems to be a way to prevent a bottleneck of supporting actress campaigns from the film — especially with the likes of the powerhouse that is Toni Collette, who is always stupendous but too light on screen time.
Artisan categories are rich. Production design seems like a slam dunk, while cinematography seems also assured for a mention. The sound design adds to the horror and fantasy world that del Toro creates. Nathan Johnson’s vivid score is lusciously divine and reaps the chords that the music branch tends to love. Editing and makeup are both within reach as well.