Kim Morgan breaks down a juicy exchange from the screenplay she co-wrote with del Toro.
Screenwriter and journalist Kim Morgan can quoteDouble Indemnityand a zillion other noirs by heart.
The room is wired for sound with microphones everywhere.
Searchlight Pictures
Still, he thinks he has her number.
It also sets up Stanton’s stock in trade, which is selling fear.
He’s showing off a little bit to impress her."
Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper in a scene from ‘Nightmare Alley’.Kerry Hayes/Searchlight Pictures
Talking Shop
“He’s unfulfilled.
He’s a striver.
She’s what he thinks of as a high-class dame.
He’s reading her in the way she would read one of her clients.”
In Charm’s Way
“There’s a back-and-forth seduction going on here.
It’s definitely a flirtation.”
4. Who’s On the Couch?
“There’s lots going on here.
He’s not aware that he is, but he is.
Even if he’s hiding and bragging, he’s trusting her to understand.”
Nightmare Alleyis now in theaters.
