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Jeudi, mai 20th, 2010
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2006 has been a smooth year for event films. The predicted blockbusters this past summer stunning considerable underperformed despite some being exactly as edifying as I concept they’d be. Other than Johnny Depp and the gang’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Boring Man’s Chest, every blockbuster didn’t blow the industry out of the water. It’s a very obedient thing that I had smaller films to tide me over. This year has been a very obedient ones for some independent-minded and smaller films which came out during the humdrum first couple months of the year and during the graveyard release months between the slay of summer and the commence of the behind year holidays. I’ve already had the chance to spy such very agreeable films like Running Stunned from Wayne Kramer and Hard Candy from David Slade to The Proposition from John Hillcoat. I am tickled to say that Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of Christopher Priest’s recent, The Prestige is another non-blockbuster that excites, entertains and, in the ruin, keeps the audience mystified but not confused.
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I’ve read Christopher Priest’s new about dueling unhurried 19th-century London magicians. It’s a current written in epistolary format with each chapter and piece written as entries into the journal of one of the main characters in the yarn. The fresh itself is resplendent straightforward as it tells the anecdote in approach chronological order. I was hesistant to embrace this film adaptation when I first heard about it since alot of the mystery of of the memoir wouldn’t translate so well in film if they followed the strict order of how the tale was told in the modern. For Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, to objective adapt the new straight-out would’ve made for a dead and stupid mystery-thriller. I was blissful that the Nolan brothers were inventive enough to borrow abit from Christopher Nolan’s first feature film, Memento. Their film adaptation of The Prestige doesn’t go backwards in its memoir, but it does mixes up the chronological order of the sage somewhat, but not to the point that Tarantino does in Pulp Fiction and End Bill. The two Nolans fudges abit with the timeline to add some backstory filler to aid give the characters that Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman portrays with the reason for their pathological obsession with each other.
Christopher and Jonathan Nolan’s screenplay for The Prestige was able to withhold the mystery of the anecdote intact, but it also keeps the amount of red herrings in such films to a minimum. Michael Caine’s character, Harry Cutter, opens up the film explaining unprejudiced exactly what constitutes a magic trick on stage. How it’s divided into three parts. First, there’s “The Pledge” wherein the magician shows the audience something ordinary he or she will consume in the trick. Soon, the magician will follow this up with “The Turn” where the abovementioned ordinary object does something fantastic in front of the audience. The pay-off of the magician’s trick is “The Prestige” where the audience’s astonishment occurs as they fail to deconstruct and figure out the means of the trick. That’s radiant powerful the film in a nutshell. It’s one mammoth magic trick. The clues are there for the audience to glimpse, salvage and extrapolate their acknowledge to the mystery that is the account. The screenplay doesn’t treat the audience as if they need to be hand-held throughout the film. In fact, anyone who pays attention will be able to solve one-half of the mystery by the first hour. I won’t say exactly whose half of the mystery it will be but people will be kicking themselves afterwards if they don’t figure it out honest away.
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This magic trick of a film does have its many underlying layers of themes to add some complexity, drama and tension to the characters of Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) . I’ve already mentioned that throughout the film their mutual obsession about each other is due to a backstory detailing their past. A past where they were initially friends — rivals even — and apprentices to the magician Harry Cutter (excellently played by Michael Caine as the only state of reason throughout the film) . Borden and Angier’s obsession is not impartial in ruining and sabotaging each other’s magic tricks and lives, but also trying to procure out each other’s secrets as they both learn magic tricks which amaze and thrill the gentry of London’s stage. From the beginning of the film these two characters originate a bound towards a path of destructive behavior which puts not fair each other’s lives at risk, but those who they care about. All of it in the name of humiliating and upstaging the other due to a tragic incident early in their mutual careers. These two individuals were not sympathetic characters and I applaud Christopher Nolan and his brother for not softening up their hard edges.
Most adaptors will try to manufacture a story’s characters more sympathetic and likable. They went the opposite in The Prestige. But even these two murky characters continue to exude the charisma and strong personalities that the audience will root for one or the other. Should they root for the charismatic and born shownman that Hugh Jackman’s Angier character plays or go for the perfectionist Borden character Christian Bale plays. A perfectionist whose technical skills surpasses that of Angier’s but whose introverted and brooding personality makes him tiny or no stage presence.
Both Jackman and Bale play their characters well. The film wouldn’t be so superb if it wasn’t for the work of these two actors. It helps that they’re surrounded by quality supporting character like Michael Caine as the seasoned, used mentor to the dueling magicians. Even Scarlett Johansson does very well with the portion she’s given. It’s a allotment that many sees as more of a throwaway character. A portion of very good-looking distraction for both the sage and the audience. But she gamely plays the role of pawn for both Angier and Borden. Unlike Michael Caine’s character who remains the singular teach of sanity in the film, even Johansson’s character of Olivia gets pulled into the obsessions and betrayals that’s plagued both Angier and Borden. But in the ruin, she’s objective piece of the process of “The Turn” and if people have been watching the film closely factual from the beginning then she’s also a clue as to the secret of one of the astonishing magic tricks shown by the two magicians.
The Prestige also has a sure gape about it. The 19th-century London objective before the open of the fresh millenium gives it a positive sense of Victorian-era familiarity. Production designer Nathan Crowley shows a London at the height of its Gilded Age, but soon gives contrivance to a distinct steampunk peek as inventor Nikola Tesla makes an appearance during an integral piece of the legend. David Bowie portrays Tesla as an eccentric genius whose search for the secrets of the universe will lead to the discovery of what many of that era would deem magic. It’s the ingenius looking technology created for the Tesla sequence which finally gives The Prestige it’s root in fantasy and science-fiction. The film doesn’t dwell on this original development but from that fragment of the account and until the slay, the film takes on a peer and feel of a steampunk mystery-thriller. There’s not enough films that tries to mine this original subgenre and I, for one, am joyful that Christopher Nolan added this unique dimension to the film’s overall discover.
In the ruin, The Prestige really needs to be seen to be appreciated and for people to produce up their minds about the film. Some will study it as a thriller with twists and turns that doesn’t insult the intelligence of its audience. Some may gawk the film as unprejudiced one sizable gimmick from originate to slay. Those people will probably be factual as well. The film at its most basic level is one long magic trick with all three acts. It has “The Pledge” which is then followed up by “The Turn” and then ends with “The Prestige”. It will be up to each individual who sees the film to design the final decision as to whether they’ve bought into all three acts of the magic trick that is The Prestige, or near away having felt like they’ve wasted their time. I’ve not arrive across many who felt like the latter, even those whose hold feelings about the film don’t come the same level of praise as I have for Christopher Nolan’s latest offering. All I know is that this is a film that delivers on its premise to confound and amaze. It also continues to validate my views that Bruce Wayne and Batman are in very genuine hands with Christopher Nolan at the wheel. The Prestige is easily one of the best film of 2006.
Like many other reviewers, I came into Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige” with high expectations. He, thus far, has a attractive wonderful track describe in my book. “Batman Begins” ranks highly among adult funny book movies, but prior to that–he scored vast with the sublime “Memento” and the underappreciated “Insomnia” (where, miraculously, he coaxed restrained performances from both Al Pacino and Robin Williams) . So teaming Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in a murky and twisty story of obsession and revenge seemed like movie nirvana. And “The Prestige,” while not a perfect film, certainly provides its leads with robust roles and delivers grand to cherish.
Set in the world of magic, two practitioners (Bale and Jackman) initiate out together in an act devised by Michael Caine. When a tragedy strikes, Jackman loses his wife and holds Bale accountable. Though they go their separate ways, they never mentally disconnect. Jackman plots revenge, Bale retaliates and their lives become a complex game of one-upmanship–as each strives to be the better illusionist, to boast the better trick. The film is a sleek and detestable mechanism as rage and jealousy propel the action. While this has left some people feeling cold–there is no one to particularly root for–I found it refreshingly mean inspiring and believable. Jackman and Bale both give grand, passionate performances. Whether or not you like the movie, I consider it would be hard not to stare that these are two undervalued performers getting a chance to do some “gargantuan” acting. Caine is terrific, as always, and Scarlett Johansson is perfect as a woman caught between the feuding warriors.
As you might put a question to from a Nolan film, there are some surprises–some tricks to be revealed in the film’s prestige. Now I have an gawk for movie “surprises,” I guess I’m too suspicious or analytical. I figured out one of the significant surprises early on–but that didn’t lessen my interest in the film, I was fair as challenging to gawk how it played out. The film is built in a multilayered flashback structure that is intriguing and rewarding. It adds to the dramatic revelations of the final act. But there is a science fiction element that is dropped in at the last moment. And while I know that the film is actually based on a sci-fi work, this was the least compelling aspect of the film. In fact, it might have ruined a lesser movie altogether. After so considerable loyal emotion, such a extraordinary setup, so distinguished believability–this set twist hasty brings what was a tremendous film help to earth as a worthy one.
“The Prestige” is a satisfying and adult treat. It boasts some of the best performances of the year, and is delicate and spicy to watch at. It’s quality filmmaking, one that is recommended despite the shortcomings of the final payoff. KGHarris, 12/06.
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