Amazing

Rating: 9/10 (26 November 2006)

This is a milestone for me. I don't think I've ever seen two movies in a YEAR that I thought were utterly perfect, and here I am writing a review about my second in a month.
This is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, and I'm SO glad I experienced it on the big screen. It was a compelling story, beautifully scripted and filmed, brilliantly acted by Jackman, Bale and Caine (I like that Bale's name was Alfred this time, like Caine's was in Batman Begins). Bowie was really restrained as Nikola Tesla, and I even liked Scarlet Johannsen (that lucky, lucky, LUCKY lady...getting to cozy up to both Jackman AND Bale? Sigh). However, her role, Alfred's wife, and Andy Serkis's character could have been played by anybody. I'm not sure any of them are worthy of special mention. And regarding Serkis, all I could think of was "my preciousssssssssssssss." This is a movie about misdirection, and I was surprised often by the twists and turns...a rare feat for a film. I kept trying to guess where it was going and I was either partially or completely wrong almost every time. There were only 2 parts where I guessed what was coming, and I LOVED that. It was really a clever movie.
After a first viewing, there are only a couple of things about this film that I didn't find utterly satisfying. One is the fact that the last fifteen minutes or so played out as though the people associated with the creation of it suddenly assumed that the viewer's brain had stopped functioning. The rest of the movie dances along just out of your full reach, begging you to keep up, waving and sticking its tongue out if you don't, then screeches to a grinding halt while two characters suddenly start explaining away every minute of the previous two hours.
I didn't mark the movie down because of this. The concepts were too intriguing, the intellectual and cinematic pace of the movie moving too precisely...there are fundamentally no dead spots in this film.
I wouldn't have answered ALL the questions at the end, were it my decision. I would have left at least a few questions unanswered.
**************BIG SPOILER HERE***************
My only other problem with this film is the question of "which knot." That could have been easily ascertained when the ropes were untied and removed from the body.
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However, those things said, I still can't recommend this movie highly enough. If it isn't nominated for at least a few Oscars, I'll be seriously questioning the sanity of the Academy Members. This film was very cerebral (a rarity when coupled with "mainstream" and big budget"), and I hope it gets the industry recognition that it surely deserves. It's a quality film, and that is a sublime understatement.
I highly recommend this film. Enjoy.