THE PRESTIGE

THE PRESTIGE IS PURE QUALITY -- THIS PICTURE SHOULD BE SUB-TITLED, QUALITY. THERE IS NO ELEMENT OF THIS FILM THAT IS NOT FIRST RATE. PRODUCTION VALUES CAN BE WONDERFUL AND YOU MIGHT STILL END UP WITH A PIECE OF TRASH LIKE, GODFATHER III, BUT THIS FILM HAS ALL THE BASES COVERED:
** CHRIS NOLAN IS THE DIRECTOR -- THAT MEANS QUALITY - "BATMAN BEGINS" - "MEMENTO" - "FOLLOWING" ( A "LITTLE" FILM YOU SHOULD RENT, IF YOU LIKE ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S WORK )
** HUGH JACKMAN, MICHAEL CAINE, CHRISTIAN BALE, SCARLETT JOHANSSON ARE ALL AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME AND DAVID BOWIE IS BEYOND PERFECTION IN HIS ROLE
** THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IS IMPECCABLE AND THE BRIEF SCENE OF A STEAM ENGINE LOCOMOTIVE TRAVELING ON ROUGH MOUNTAIN TERRAIN IS WORTHY OF A LIFETIMEMEMORY, EVEN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED AN EVENTFUL LIFE
** EVERY WORD SPOKEN IN THIS FILM IS A CLUE / HINT OF THINGS TO COME. THERE IS NO FILLER IN THIS LONG AND CONVOLUTED TALE AND IF YOU ARE NOT MENTALLY SHARP, STAY HOME. IF YOU ARE SHARP AND FULLY IN CONTROL OF YOUR FACULTIES, YOU WILL STILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF WHAT IS UNFOLDING ON THE LARGE SCREEN IN THE DARK ROOM YOU ARE SHARING WITH SO MANY STRANGERS, WHO ARE JUST AS LOST AS YOU ARE. - BUT THIS ONE OF THOSE RARE FILMS WHERE BEING LOST IS OKAY - THEY WILL RESCUE YOU FROM YOUR IGNORANCE BEFORE THE LIGHTS COME ON THIS IS ANOTHER OF WHAT I CALL THE HERCULE POIROT, MURDER ON THE ORIENTEXPRESS, TYPE MOVIES --- YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO THE VERY END TO HAVE THEM GO BACK AND PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER FOR YOU -- AND PREPARE YOURSELF FOR YOUR FRIENDS, WHO WILL LIE AND SAY THEY KNEW THIS OR THAT, ALL ALONG -- EINSTEIN AND SHERLOCK HOLMES, COULD NOT PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER AND IF YOUR PALS COULD, THEY WOULD BE WATCHING THIS FILM AT BILL GATES' HOUSE; AFTER DELIVERING A LECTURE TO THE NATIONAL MENSA SOCIETY ON THE NEED TO UPGRADE THEIR STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION TO THAT ORGANIZATION.
THIS IS A DON'T MISS IT FILM IF YOU LOVE A GOOD STORY. IT IS A TALE WORTHY OF DICKENS -- I THOUGHT IT SHARED SOMETHING WITH, A CHRISTMAS CAROL - WHAT I CAN'T REALLY SAY, BUT THAT STORY CAME TO MIND AS I WATCHED THIS VERY CLEVER TALE PLAY ITSELF OUT.
LET ME GIVE YOU THIS SMALL HINT -- THIS STORY IS NOT ABOUT MAGIC AND IT HAS NO HERO --- IT IS ABOUT OBSESSION -- OBSESSION TO THE EXTREME.