The Prestige...

[fajrdrako]

I went to see The Prestige yesterday. Good movie. Stellar cast: with the likes of Christian Bale (who impresses me more every time I see him, and I've liked him from the beginning), Hugh Jackman, Scarlet Johansson, Andy Serkis, David Bowie, and Michael Caine.... and a setting of late Victorian London and Colorado Springs. I have been to Colorado Springs. Gorgeous place. It was fun to see it as a movie setting.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, though I guessed Alfred's secret rather early in the movie - too many clues - and that made a lot of it just fall into place. (I admit I was confused about Angier's main trick - the body in the tank - until I saw the hats and the cats on the mountainside.) By the end I wasn't sure how convincing it all was, but it was fun to be along for the ride.

Comments

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

...and Mark Ryan.

(I made a squeaky noise when he showed up)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes - there were a lot of surprises there. Nice ones.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

The Prestige was good, but I adored The Illusionist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/) (See my avatar). It had a more lyrical approach and storyline. Picture Tesla's lightbulbs on the mountainside, and you have the feeling of The Illusionist, throughout. I plan on buying it.

Here's an additional page of video interviews and clips:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/videosites

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Nice icon!

I liked The Illusionist as well. Saw it a couple of months ago.... I thought both movies were good, and both flawed, but in different ways. The Illusionist seemed to have more heart.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Whether it was intentional or not, I liked The Illusionist's take on Shakesperian themes: Let's pretend the Romeo and Juliet are adults with brains. Let's pretend they're separated by real social forces as apposed to some arbitrary nameless vendetta between two houses of equal rank. On top of everything else, if you read the original short story, Eisenheim is Jewish.

I also enjoyed the psychology. Leopold doesn't question the frame, because for all he knows, he did kill her, and just can't remember. Also, I got the impression that Leopold would have arranged an accident for her, anyway, at whatever point she was no longer politically necessary.

As a fan of vintage radio shows, I also drew parallels between Eisenheim and Sophie & Lamont Cranston (The Shadow) and Margo Lane. I imagined the four of them would have a great deal to say to each other.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Let's pretend the Romeo and Juliet are adults with brains.

I didn't see a "Romeo and Juliet" angle to it... still don't. Could you elaborate? Do you just mean that their families would have separated them and kept them separated if they could have?

I enjoyed Leopold, mostly because I like Rufus Sewell. I couldn't believe that he didn't get his stables cleaned daily, though.

I like the parallel with Lamont Cranston, whom I have always liked.

I loved the use of the noncorporeal, the blurring of illusions into reality and back again.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

I didn't see a "Romeo and Juliet" angle to it... still don't. Could you elaborate? Do you just mean that their families would have separated them and kept them separated if they could have?


Yup, that's what I mean.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Ah - makes sense. Yes. If they'd been Montagues and Capulets - and if Leopold had been the Duke of Verona - !