Is Chris Nolan one of the finest directors of our times? I was hardly done with gushing over Batman Begins, in which Nolan did the almost-impossible job of bringing back some dignity to the Batman franchise (those who've watched the George Clooney/Michael Keaton horrors that almost irreparably reduced Batman to a laughably childish piece of trash would know what I'm talking about). And now, after watching The Prestige, Nolan's latest offering, I can't help but feel that here is a director who's well on his way to Spielberg-ish legendary status. Hugh Jackman is simply brilliant in the movie, Christian Bale is remarkably efficient (though I do wish he'd mumble a little less) and even the relatively unknown Rebecca Hall turns in a sparkling performance. The sets, the photography, the editing, the dialogues - everything is absolutely top-notch. Though the sci-fi bits are a little difficult to digest, the way the writers manage to turn the 'magical' machine into the vehicle for carrying forward the basic idea of the movie - the futility of jealousy and obsession - is truly spellbinding. In fact, so polished is the execution of every single aspect of the movie, that one almost lovingly forgives Scarlett Johannson's daft turn as the confused vamp. Did the Oscar jury somehow forget to watch this movie? Now I can't wait to watch Memento, another supposedly virtuoso creation by the master filmmaker.
So my movie-watching spree continues. The Prestige was only one of the slew of movies I've watched over the past couple of weeks, and sadly, was one of the very few that actually left any sort of impact. Meet Joe Black, boasting such big names as Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt and such a riveting little concept as the personification of death, was a dismal disappointment. Why on earth the makers had to drag the flick into a 3-hour long exercise filled with abstract pauses and presumably thoughtful silences is beyond comprehension. The acting, save for the ever-dependable Hopkins, is abysmal (Claire Forlani, as the perennially teary-eyed damsel in distress is particularly awful), and don't even get me started on the ridiculous plot and ending and meaningless dialogues. And to think most people on www.imdb.com liked the movie! At least the movie taught me one thing - never to trust the opinions of internet movie fans. No wait, that very important lesson was taught me by another Brad Pitt monstrosity - Interview With The Vampire. Exactly how the producers managed to convince such big names as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas to do a movie that basically only contained a string of disgusting sequences involving biting and drinking the blood of all sorts of creatures - rats, dogs, humans, etc. - will perhaps remain the most mysterious event in the history of the movies. And the rat/dog/human biting has been shown quite in quite graphic terms too - GROTESQUE!
Most of the comedies that I watched were predictable and boring. Adam Sandler has truly lost his touch - Click was just about as funny as Daniel Radcliffe's decision to give up his innocent schoolboy image and instead go for a shockingly adult one in his new play Equus. The same goes for You Me and Dupree, a rotten exhibition of how not to make a comedy movie (which probably also applies for Wedding Crashers, Owen Wilson's stupefyingly successful comedy from 2005). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, however, was a refreshing deviation from the run-of-the-mill, and yes, a very surprisingly sane performance by the ever-maniacal Jim Carrey goes a long way in making the movie strikingly memorable. The movie's confusingly wonderful twists and turns and the very weird plot and editing make for one wondrous joy-ride, and Kate Winslet's shimmering performance as the two-faced love interest make it clear why she got an Oscar nomination for the role, though not quite why she didn't win. Jim Carrey, however, was back to his usual self in Fun with Dick and Jane, which wasn't quite as dreadful as Click or Dupree, but wasn't Carrey's best work either. And considering the measly handful of Carrey's flicks that were actually enjoyable (Liar Liar and The Mask are the only two that come to mind), that isn't saying much.
Alright, that's a lot of opinions for one day. I'll put off my evaluations of the rest of the movies I watched for another day, another post. In the meantime, let us all try to live life to the fullest and find that special something that makes living worthwhile, that momentous purpose for which the most devoted dedication would not be rewarding enough. Ah, seems Hollywood's hopelessly mundane, over-dramatized dialogues have got to my head. I really need to get myself some fresh air.
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