The Prestige (2006) April 6, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Christopher Nolan
The release of a new film from director Christopher Nolan is never a bad thing. He confused us with the magnificent Memento back in 2000 and successfully tackled the comic book movie with his reboot of the Batman franchise in Batman Begins (the sequel to which is due out in 2008, entitled The Dark Knight). This time it’s a period piece, but like a lot of Nolan’s work, behind the top hats and silk evening dresses lies a tale about the dark side of human nature.
The story follows two amateur magicians; Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who become entangled in a bitter rivalry that drives both parties to increasing lengths to discover the others methods. Angier is a showman who knows how to dress a trick and make it into a ‘performance’, but needs new illusions. Borden, on the other hand, lacks the showmanship of his rival but just happens to have the greatest trick ever seen in London. Angier can’t believe his eyes and so sets out on an all-consuming quest to discover the method and reclaim the audience he feels he deserves.
First off, Christopher Nolan’s direction is superb, as expected. The film utilises a non-linear narrative technique, although it’s got nothing on Memento in this department. The script is extremely tight too, keeping the rivalry storyline bubbling from practically the first frame to the very last. While the screenplay is adapted from Christopher Priest’s novel of the same name, you never feel the missing elements that are a necessity of book-to-screen transitions.
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale put in excellent performances as the duelling illusionists, while Michael Caine is also fantastic as the knowledgeable trick designer. Scarlett Johansson’s role is slightly more understated and her character a tad underused, simply fading into the background by the end of the movie. There are plenty of other aspects to admire however, including the great set work, especially in the stage sequences, and period themeing both in terms of costumes and décor.
There are plenty of twists as can only be expected in a movie which deals with the art of misdirection, and while you may guess some of them slightly ahead of time, it actually barely matters. The real mystery is kept hidden for most of the picture, with an ending that still comes out strong thanks to the acute way the characters are developed over time. The film’s only detraction is that it turns a bit fantasy in parts and although this doesn’t confuse the story as it so easily could have, it halts the investment you have in the realism instilled by the rest of the movie.
It’s not Nolan’s best work either in writing or direction, but that’s a difficult thing to achieve given his previous output. Despite this, The Prestige is still incredibly enjoyable and entertaining, while smartly focusing on the flawed human nature of the people who perform these illusions, rather than simply the tricks themselves.
The Departed (2006) April 2, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , 2 commentsDirected by: Martin Scorsese
Back behind the camera at 64 years old, Martin Scorsese returns to his strongest ally, the crime drama, with this tale of gangsters, police, secrets and lies, all set in Boston.
Based on the popular Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, this film tells the story of two recently graduated officers of the Massachusetts Police Academy. William Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is not the model street cop and so his superiors decide that a special assignment would be more suitable. That assignment is to go undercover and become part of the gang run by Boston’s most wanted; Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Colin Sullivan is not a model cop either. Recently promoted to a position of authority in the Special Investigations Unit, he joined the force as an informant working for Costello’s syndicate. Now, with both sides suspicious of harbouring an insider, it’s a race against time to see which rat can sniff the other out first.
The film features some fantastic performances from an eclectic cast of the kind that only Scorsese could gather. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, it reads like a who’s who of Hollywood major leaguers, and they all work overtime to bring this convoluted story of insiders to life.
The script is dead on for a gangster crime movie, with both the gang conversations and the police lingo all playing true to life. Scorsese clearly has a firm hold on the cinematography as he directs his way through the picture with quite an understated, but still effective style. It actually reminded me a lot of his 1990 masterpiece Goodfellas. An easy parallel to make you might think, but an accurate one nonetheless. Plus, in this case, the similarities are not to the detriment of the movie. It’s just a fact that Scorsese does this genre of film very well.
At two and a half hours I can’t deny that it’s long. Luckily, I can also say that not much of that length is wasted, and the story never really slows down to a point where you think ‘they should’ve taken this part out’. The ending maybe outstays its welcome slightly, but taking an extra five minutes to wrap things up when the story has been building for so long is hardly a crime. It’s certainly not Return of the King territory anyway.
So, did Martin Scorsese deserve the ‘Best Achievement in Directing’ Oscar? Well, yes. But not just because he was ‘owed’ it, or in some way entitled to it like many of his supporters will tell you. The question shouldn’t be whether his body of work allows him to collect that award, but whether The Departed can stand alone as a highlight in that work. Thankfully, it can.
