Absolutely the best movie of the year. My thoughts:
Casting: Brillantly acted by both Bale and Jackman, everything you would expect from these two wonderful performers. Jackman’s stage experience shines in several delightful ways. Caine, of course, did not disappoint, he’s predictably good in every movie. Bale’s accent and just Bale being Bale was quite marvelous to watch.
Screenplay: obviously the story is what made this movie (not to take anything away from Bale, Jackman and the others’ performances, though). A well thought out script with many great twists and turns. I felt a little like I was watching Memento at times, which isn’t bad, but it can be confusing if you’re not one of those people who watches movies vigilently throughout. You kind of have to keep a “sharp intellect” as you plow through the story, but it’s not so bad that you get frustrated. Though I can see lots of people, who simply want to be entertained and led through a movie, not liking the Prestige. I personally love thrillers/mysteries that are complicated, but about the right things. Dialogue and execution were not flawless but in many important scenes were damn close. Very well paced too for how long it was, with almost every scene (except the near last) flowing beautifully. You actually care about the characters when you watch Prestige. That’s the sign of a great film when you really do care what happens to the characters for the brief moments you “believe” in the fantasy of the story. Great movies are all about how much you invest in the character and their conflict (and it’s eventual resolution). Screenwriters look to develop their characters that way for the audience to appreciate them and in many ways relate to them. Besides perhaps David Mamet, who is an anamoly of a writer, watching a character develop is oh so very important for a motion picture and this movie had it in spades.
Score: Didn’t jump out in particular, certainly wasn’t poor, misplaced, or anything of that nature. I find myself greatly influenced by good scores when watching a movie, so Pretige getting a 9.5/10 from me tells you how much I enjoyed the film.
