Did I miss something?

Rating: 5/10 (23 November 2007)

Okay. Let's start by discussing two of the performances which were superb - Rufus Sewell and Paul Giamatti. Both imbue their characters with a real depth that is very involving and intriguing. And the film looks sublime. The costumes are great. The range of male facial hair has been thoroughly stretched. But for heaven's sake - guys - what about about a story?! It was half-way through the film when a Considerablly Important Event occurs that I realised I did not give a monkeys about these people. Half the characters had been hinting since the beginning that it would happen anyway. The character with any sense of depth at all is the Crown Prince, and we're not supposed to like him. Everyone else (save Mr Giamatti's chief of police) drifts through in a dreamy haze, even Ed Norton, who does what he can but he hasn't been given much. he plays it a bit like he's a cult leader; a real life maker of magic rather than an illusionist with a smug grin. The Prestige was a flawed film and very silly but the focus was on the magic and the winning of the crowds which at least gave a sense of drama to proceedings. Here we're just expected to love Norton's character as the crowd do, no questions asked. Nah. He is just too flimsy and doesn't deserve it, thus making the 'twist' at the end worthless. A waste of everyone's time, especially mine!