The movie The Prestige totally slipped under my radar when it came out the other year - I casually accepted an offer to borrow the DVD off a workmate, not expecting much...
Wow.
What a movie. Best movie I have seen in ages! Did anyone else catch it? Basically, it's about two magicians who become rivals, and it's all about their attempts to out-do each other, and it's by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian (beat-em-up) Bale and Hugh Jackman.
Honestly, at the end, my jaw unhinged itself and fell to the floor, and I had to watch the movie again a couple of days later.
It's not perfect - Scarlett JOhansson tries her best to do an English accent but somehow she sounds terrible; and sometimes the narrative gets a bit too complex - at one point we're learning the story of a man who's learning a story of somone who's learning a story...
But even that can't ruin an amazing, amazing film, which I'm surprised didn't win Oscars (did it?). Beautifully acted (Rebecca Hall is lovely, and I hope she's in more stuff soon) and intricately put together - the chronology of the movie is all over the place, but somehow you don't get lost at all. The music is beautiful (and it's great to hear Radiohead tinkle in at the end), it's just a great spectacle.
I don't think I could watch it too many more times though - there's such hate and emotion behind the characters - it's quite intense.
But if you haven't seen it, check it out!
3 comments:
Martin, if you liked that you should check out The Illusionist. Turn of the century stage magician (in Vienna this time) which was unjustly buried because it came out a couple of months after the Prestige and everyone obviously thought, oh, more of the same... Victorian-Edwardian era stage magic is about all they have in common, but its well worth a look, Ed Norton headlines it. Also worth having a look at the great Chris Priest's original novel of the Prestige (one of the few authors to win the Arthur C Clarke award and the BSFA prize for SF in the same year).
Joe
i remember there being two magician movies out at the same time - but i missed both! will look into the Illusionist.
i find it hard to read books after i've seen the movie - wish i had read Priest's book first. Had no idea how good it all is!
My favourite film of... 06?
I have to disagree about The Illusionist though - I'm a massive fan of Eddie Norton, but it didn't stand up against The Prestige at all imho.
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