This is a good old fashioned movie with very good first and last third. The second third drags a little bit but not too much to loose the interest.
The plot involves a killing, deception, lots of very questionnable characters and a wonderful set up in different kind of environments which all in my opinion act as a "character" themselves.
All the actors are quite good in their roles. Bradley Cooper is great in his role as a man with a shady past and greedy outcome and David Strathairn stars a very good siderole as a old mentalist in the carnival. All the other supporting actors are very good as well.
Guillermo Del Toro knows his stuff as a writer and director. The cinematography and the use of colours are beautiful (as well as camerawork in general) and costume designer has done his homework wonderfully.
The only complaint I could think of is a certain twist in the plot which is really obvious after a certain part of the story is reached. At least I could see the signs from a miles away.
At the beginning of the movie I got some flashbacks from the series "Carnivale" which I adored at the times. This is not as absurd though :)
If you like fast moving action this movie certainly isn't for you. If you however like a great oldschool like mystery with a stunning scenery, camerawork and character driven acting I certainly recommended this.
The plot involves a killing, deception, lots of very questionnable characters and a wonderful set up in different kind of environments which all in my opinion act as a "character" themselves.
All the actors are quite good in their roles. Bradley Cooper is great in his role as a man with a shady past and greedy outcome and David Strathairn stars a very good siderole as a old mentalist in the carnival. All the other supporting actors are very good as well.
Guillermo Del Toro knows his stuff as a writer and director. The cinematography and the use of colours are beautiful (as well as camerawork in general) and costume designer has done his homework wonderfully.
The only complaint I could think of is a certain twist in the plot which is really obvious after a certain part of the story is reached. At least I could see the signs from a miles away.
At the beginning of the movie I got some flashbacks from the series "Carnivale" which I adored at the times. This is not as absurd though :)
If you like fast moving action this movie certainly isn't for you. If you however like a great oldschool like mystery with a stunning scenery, camerawork and character driven acting I certainly recommended this.