Monothematic delusion

Rating: 4/10 (16 November 2006)

A provocative movie that leaves you with some sociological afterthoughts about illusion, the art of magic and science but as a movie ( I have not read the book on which this adaptation is based ) it is ultimately just too flawed with so many plot holes and an ending/plot twist that is laughable. Its a film about identity and personal obsessions mixed with the archaic art form of theatrical style illusionist's at the turn of the century. Biological, yet diabolical made twins versus sci-fi cloned twins - The mysteries of Gothic age science fiction inspired novels and all it's possibilities ( from Well's The Time Machine to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein ) and even earlier morality tales like Faustus and Prometheus. It has the same 'melting-pot' styling as the The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Try stuffing everything but the kitchen sink from Gothic novels and see what you get. What you get is ludicrous. Countless plot holes - Why would a couple of electricity buff cronies build a machine that could duplicate hats, cats and men, just hand it over rather than immediately start gold production/cloning ? Why does the Michael Caine character change sides ? One characters motivation at the denouement is committing suicide nightly as part of a stage show ? Clones having all the cloned persons memories/motivations immediately on being materialised ? And so on and on...