As You Watch: Episode IX: The Prestige

Here's another installment of the As You Watch Podcast, a podcast I host with Joe, Vern, and Bubba. This week, Bubba takes a seat again as he's currently moving, so we are joined by Trevor of The Movie Mavericks and Pat of 100 Years of Movies. After a quick introduction, Trevor and Pat discuss their Top 3 Movies of All Time. We then go on and talk about the DVD and theatrical releases for the week as well as our "Top 3 Performances by a Musician". This leads into our movie of the week discussion, where we talk about The Prestige, starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale and wrap it up with The Battle of the Wits. Vern's hosting again this week so head on over to his site to check it out (link is below). 

Listen Here

Like us on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter

Oct 21: The Prestige

"The rivalry between two magicians is exacerbated when one of them performs the ultimate illusion."

Directed by: Christopher Nolan, Rated: PG-13, 130 minutes

There have been very few movies about magic that have seen the light of day. Sure, the Harry Potter movies have to deal with witchcraft and wizardry but very few films deal with real magicians  using sleight-of-hand and illusions to wow their audiences. With The Prestige, not only do we see the inner-workings of two stage magicians but we see the lengths these two men will go to discover the other's tricks while maintaining their own secrecy. It's a terrific look at an obsession that really ruins two men and turns the story of magic into something much more relatable than a rabbit coming out of a hat. 

Who wants to watch THIS for two hours?

Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are two magicians working together under Milton (Ricky Jay). As time goes on, each man is given a chance to show off his own ability and the two begin developing their own shows. After a magic trick of Milton's goes terribly wrong (at the possible fault of Borden), the two split course and go in different directions, Borden finding his own place on stage and Angier, haunted by the tragedy, vowing to ruin Borden, who has apparently come up with the world's greatest trick. Angier requests the help of Cutter (Michael Caine) to discover the secret behind Borden's "Transporting Man" illusion, a trick that appears to involve some sort of teleportation. As Angier becomes more obsessed with discovering the secrets, he goes to great lengths to replicate the trick, using a double and then eventually a machine created by Nikola Tesla (David Bowie). Layer upon layer is slowly peeled away and we, as the audience, are torn between the two men, never knowing which side to truly embrace. 

Seriously, why isn't David Bowie in everything!?

The Prestige is a masterful look at the lengths obsession can lead and the tolls it takes on the personal lives of these two men. At first, Angier is thought to be the hero but as his fall into this obsession grows deeper, he becomes lost in the mess. Borden is a man who just wants to have a family but a part of him pulls him away, forcing him to sacrifice many aspects of his life in order to maintain the illusion he's been running for years. It's quite tragic and as you see him give up more, you begin to understand and support what he does. A large part of how this teeter-tottering of heroes is attributed to the incredible performances given by both Jackman and Bale. Bale, comfortable with director Christopher Nolan, is at his best, expressing both arrogance (at first) and eventually, pathos, as more is revealed. His character's progression is amazing to watch and by the film's end, you're almost completely on his side. Jackman is in perhaps his finest role and he shows us that he's more than a beefcake laced with Adamantium. He's a hero we all can cheer for, given the circumstances, and seeing his fall from grace is that much harder to watch. Both men continually go at each other on stage and off, and the literal war that develops between them pulls you back forth. Neither man outshines or out-acts the other and this really plays into the actual story. 

Batman vs. Wolverine proves to be incredibly interesting. 

The Prestige is a dark and pretty depressing little movie. The characters feel genuinely real and very human and the situations they're put into receive reactions I feel most people would share in themselves. Obsession wraps itself around these individuals and the lengths they go to uncover and hide secrets is entertaining to watch, but also heartbreaking. One man is desperate to unveil a secret while the other is desperate enough to keep one hidden. It's a genius little cat and mouse game that turns into a violent duel and many casualties are caught up in between the mess. At the film's conclusion, there is no obvious "winner" as both men have deteriorate plenty and have sacrificed a lot already. The Prestige is not all about the magic as much as it is about the mentalities and personalities of these two men and questions how far is too far when trying to one-up the other. It's a terrific film that solidifies itself towards the top of Christopher Nolan's filmography. I would highly recommend it. 

The Good:

the countless "illusions" that leave you guessing, even when you have a rough idea of where everything MAY be heading

The Better:

as sad as it is, seeing the lengths two men will go to be the best does prove entertaining in the mystery 

The Best:

incredible acting by not only its two leads, but by the many recognizable supporting actors

9.0/10

Trailer:

Pick Six- Christian Bale

So with the film of the year just a little under a week away, I figured I would do my second Pick Six with its star, Christian Bale. The Dark Knight Rises is possibly the most anticipated movie of this decade and, while so many other blogs are talking about the best Batman movies and what not, I wanted to focus on the man underneath the cowl. Keep in mind, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are givens on this list, so I wanted to pick my six other favorite films by the Welsh chameleon. 

Directed by: Mary Harron, Rated: R, 102 minutes

Some can argue that American Psycho is the film that really put Christian Bale on the map. His portrayal of the sex-crazed, self-obsessed, Patrick Bateman tapped into the dark fantasies that few people have and most of us are afraid of. It's a twisted tale of a man possibly going insane (the ending is rather ambiguous)  and features some incredibly graphic scenes of both violent and sexual nature. Even if you're not a fan of the film, it's something you won't forget (mostly because of how phenomenal Bale is). It also teaches us that a business card is much more than a tiny piece of paper and that it's hip to be square. 

Directed by: Kurt Wimmer, Rated: R: 107 minutes

Equilibirum is hands down one of my favorite action movies of all time. It's got the style of The Matrix, the setting of 1984, and a fighting technique completely unique to the film (gun kata). Bale plays John Preston, a government agent whose job it is to find and destroy anyone or anything that elicits emotion. After Preston decides against taking his daily dose of Prozium, a drug that inhibits emotion, he slowly unravels the secrets of the world and stands against those he used to work for. This is one of the first times we see Bale in an action role, and he kicks so much ass you can't help but wonder when he'll play a superhero. The movie also features incredible fight sequences and has one of the largest body counts in any film I've seen. 

Directed by: Brad Anderson, Rated: R, 101 minutes

The Machinist is an incredible low budget film that shows how far Bale will go for a role (he lost over 60 pounds to play the lead). Bale plays Trevor, a man who struggles to find any sort of sleep, and whose insomnia slowly begins to destroy his life and his grasp on reality. The Machinist is a thinking man's film, and at first, seems like your run of the mill drama, but quickly turns into an emotional ride of seeing a man lose his mind and fall into a ghastly nightmare that blurs the lines around what is real and who he is. Completely underrated and under-watched, The Machinist is a must see for any fan of Bale (in one of his finest performances). 

Directed by: Christopher Nolan, Rated: PG-13, 130 minutes

The Prestige is every bit as magical as it is mysterious and dramatic. It's an absolutely fantastic film, directed by the masterful Christopher Nolan, that tells the story of dueling magicians (Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman) who keep one-upping each other with new tricks. As the illusions become grander and the stakes higher, the game between the two escalates to places you'd never imagine. Bale is terrific as Alfred Borden and his cat and mouse routine with Jackman is the highlight of the film. The two powerhouses go at each other with no qualms about crossing the line and it explodes into an incredible finish. Who knew magic could be so ruthless?

Directed by: James Mangold, Rated: R, 122 minutes

3:10 to Yuma is not the first film you think of when you think of Bale. In fact, it was practically swept under the rug after its release in 2007. It's a film I feel has not gotten the love it deserves as it really is one of best westerns of all time. Bale plays Dan Evans, a rancher who takes on the task of escorting the notorious criminal, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to a train that will take him away to prison. Bale and Crowe are great together, both playing completely different characters than the other. As the film progresses, a game of wits ensues between the two and the line that divides them begins to blur. With terrific action sequences (including a handful of memorable chases) and a dramatic story at its core, 3:10 to Yuma is both brutal and beautiful. 

Directed by: Steven Spielberg, Rated: PG, 152 minutes

Last, but certainly not least is Empire of the Sun, a film that proves not only how masterful a filmmaker Steven Spielberg is, but also his ability to cast incredible young actors in heart-wrenching roles. Bale, only 12 at the time, gives a better performance than most adult actors can dream of. He stars as Jamie Graham, a boy who's struggling to survive during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, and his journey to find his parents and his home. Empire of the Sun is both beautiful and haunting and shows the horrors of war and how innocence can be lost, literally overnight. Without Empire of the Sun, Bale would not be where he is today, and unlike most child actors these days, he has earned everything he has. 

Just missed the cut:

The Fighter- while Bale's performance is worthy of an Oscar, I did not like the film as much as the ones on the list

Rescue Dawn- another body-changing role for Bale and dramatic look at the brutality of war, I found this to be too similiar to The Machinist and Empire of the Sun to include

Howl's Moving Castle- the magic of this film is attributed to the director, Hayao Miyazaki, and Bale just supplies the voice to the title character

Christian Bale Rundown:

I have reviewed:

The Flowers of War

Batman Begins

The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises

The Prestige

Equilibrium 

Average Rating: 9.00/10