Hidden in Plain Sight: An Archaeology of Magic and the Cinema
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What does it mean to deWhat does it mean to describe cinematic effects as "movie magic," to compare...
White Sand, Vol 2
Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin and Julius M Gopez
8.0
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Following the loss of most of his colleagues in a violent ambush, Kenton has become Lord Mastrell of...
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Prestige (2006) in Movies
Mar 22, 2018
Dubbed "The Warring Magicians" film, THE PRESTIGE stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as two 19th Century Magicians who are...well...at war with each other. Of course, they started out as partners, but soon became enemies, each trying to out do each other and to discover the other magician's secrets.
Cleverly written by Nolan and his frequent collaborator, his brother Jonathan Nolan - and based on the novel by Christopher Priest, THE PRESTIGE will keep you guessing throughout, trying to figure out "how they did it" and are constantly being surprised by double turns, back stabbing and second guessing.
Bale, by this time in his career, has established himself as a powerful actor - and he shines here. Joining Bale is Nolan regular Michael Caine as the mentor of the two magicians, a young-ish Scarlett Johannsen as a a woman who falls in love with both of them (of course) and Rebecca Hall and Piper Perabo as Bale's and Jackman's wives, respectively. But...the surprise to me in this film when I first saw it - and again when I recently re-viewed it - is the performance of Hugh Jackman. This film shows that Jackman is more than just Wolverine - that dude can act. As a magician, he is showing glimpses of being "THE GREATEST SHOWMAN" (but that is another movie for another day) and more than holds his own against a fierce Bale. Finally...special notice needs to be made to the actor who portrays inventor Nikola Tesla - perfectly cast in this role is Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. It's a shame that Bowie did not act in more films for he captures the screen in the brief appearances he makes in this film.
As for Nolan - he is now coming into his own as a Director. The action is fast paced, the twists and turns are "honestly" played, the composition of the pictures on the screen are interesting and beautiful to look at and I walked away satisfied.
If you haven't seen THE PRESTIGE (or if you haven't seen it in awhile) - check this one out. You'll be glad you did.
Letter Grade: A (and...that's a surprise to me, I figured it would be a B+/A- film)
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
A Gathering of Shadows
V.E. Schwab and Victoria Schwab
9.5
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Kell is one of the last magicians with the ability to travel between parallel universes, linked by...
The True Queen
10.0
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When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t...
Fantasy Historical Fantasy Fiction Novels
Without the Moon
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Hush, hush, hush Here comes the Bogeyman ...London during the long, dark days of the Blitz: a city...
Priestley: Plays Four
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Two little-known Priestley plays, which, whilst being quite different, have important features in...
No Map Could Show Them
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A Poetry Book Society Recommendation 2016. 'When we climb alone en cordee feminine, we are magicians...
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Raven (1963) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
The fun is in the performances, with the veteran cast members competing to ham it up more extravagantly. Also knocking about the lower reaches of the cast list is Jack Nicholson, really showing not much sign of the talent that would earn him so many Oscar nominations in later years.
Knockabout stuff, but well played and often very funny. Not actually much of a horror movie, though, certainly by modern standards.
The Fate of the Dwarves
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For the last time, the dwarves are going to war - and the outcome will decide the fate of their...