Sunday, February 04, 2007

Prestigious illusions

Having recently entered a period of frantic torrenting (so sue me...), I found myself doing a double DVD night, in my cold humid basement. I watched, back to back, two superficially very similar movies:


The Illusionist

and


The Prestige

They share very similar eras, atmospheres and stories.

One thing that made the first one clearly superior to me was the cast. The Edward Norton / Paul Giamatti pair (both at the very top of my most admired actors list), was just too strong for competition.

But in the end, what really made me comfortable with the first, and uneasy with the second, is that the Prestige is all about people misguided, obsessed, lost. Whereas the Illusionist is about a noble pursuit of something real and worthwhile.

Which, I guess, makes it a good fable. I like fables...

6 Comments:

Blogger Lu and Lochie the Wonder Dog said...

Hey Steph, sorry I havent visited for a while. yep, I also reckon the films that stoke the fire in the belly are the ones about quests for good and justice, and not the ones self obsessing about the evil within. For this reason I love films like Dead Poets Society, Life is Beautiful, A Few Good Men, The Brady Bunch Movie....

12:36 PM  
Blogger Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Hi Steph,

Hope all is well with you!:-) LOng time no visit:-( It's gonna be picking up this month of love;-)

would just like to add that I think Edward Norton is a spookily cunning and great actor who fits well in any role he acts. I would have chosen him over any effing actor, man!;-))

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even your friend DHG? :-)

12:55 PM  
Blogger soap said...

Month of love, huh? I had a similar idea.

9:18 AM  
Blogger Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Steph--Naughty man! Any Hollywood actor I mean. You really gotta check DHG's blog out; he's the man!!

Sissoula--those voices! It's the radio that's making me say these thigs;-) Been hearing too much of this "month of love" on it. Currently, there's this promo on my fave radio station where couples--fianced or married--answer questions and win a ticket to South Africa and $500 spending money.

Too unreal!!

Hope you're both faring well?

1:30 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, DHG seems cool, I was just teasing you.

Go see the Illusionist if you have a chance.

Take care,
Steph

2:01 PM  

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