Chris and I just finished watching The Prestige. I'd heard all these people talking about how good it was, and the scene that they showed at the Oscars looked so cool.
Er, that wasn't at all what I expected. I don't know how I'm supposed to sleep now, because that movie downright frightened me. (And, as Chris said, "Not a 'Boo!' fun scared, but more a 'mentally troubled' scared.")
Lesson of the day: movies involving David Bowie always give me trouble sleeping. Well, except for Zoolander.
Edited twenty minutes later: Dangit, and now I've been reading IMDb trivia about The Prestige, and Chris was just telling me about stuff he read about Nicola Tesla. And now I'm thinking it was clever. I hate when that happens.
11 comments:
I had the same reaction to "The Prestige": meh.
But maybe I'll have to look into the trivia as well.
We rented "The Illusionist" last night, but didn't watch it. Another one of those Different Studios Putting Out Films With Similar Subject Matter in the Same Year things.
I like Tesla. I can agree that The Prestige was somewhat disturbing though.
Marc: We were originally going to rent The Illusionist instead, but then I got all hestitant, because of the prospect of hearing Jessica Biel attempting a German (well, Austrian) accent.
Matt: Of course you like Tesla! You and Chris are very similar like that.
I just watched twenty minutes of "Glen or Glenda" and now I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep either. Ed Wood is a very bad man.
Marc and QoWP: Both of you will like the Illusionist much better. It's a way better film.
Meg: Are you sure? Can you promise me that I won't want to stab Jessica Biel in the eye?
No one can ever promise you that. It's a natural reflex.
The "Illusionist" was far better than "The Prestige." To begin, the latter depends far too much on special effects, while the former depends on the excellent acting skills of Edward Norton; his controlled reserve creates a far more mystical environment than any of "Tesla's" mechanical absurdities can (don't get me wrong, I like the real Tesla, but when magic has to be explained by science, you lose the effect - it's like trying to write a biology thesis on Middle Earth). And, while the "Illusionist" has a "twist" ending that any half attentive viewer can see from a mile away, Paul Giammati (sp?) and Norton carry off the superb plot so well that you are more than willing to forgive any predictability. As for Biel, I didn't notice anything that was either strikingly bad or strikingly good about her, but if you actually detest her, you will be happy to know that she is mostly absent for about half the movie, and, unless you are a strict Derridean, this should comfort you.
Warning: Prestige Spoiler (if such a movie can be spoiled any more than it already is)
Oh, and I forgot to say that I despised "The Prestige" for taking the worn out postmodern line that, behind any form of art, there is a string of dead bodies (probably "others") that have been sacrificed to the artifice of the always already oppressive artist.
I heart Karl.
Meg says: the movie's great!
Karl says: a 230-word small essay.
I love my husband.
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