A damn good tale, well told.

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2006)

This movie is a tale. A story. A complete fantasy, but one in which some vital exposé's of what make us all human are on display. The frailties which make us what we are and the sacrifices we'll make in order to get hold of, and hold on to, that which we desire most.
I'm not going to relate the plot line here. I will however encourage readers to go see the film. It is an absolute cracker from both an acting perspective and an intriguing, suspense-filled drama fest between the main actors, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Michael Caine makes a return to the type of film which suits him most now. The drama genre. A surprise addition and a very, very attractive one too, is the inclusion of a well matured David Bowie playing a pivotal role which makes brief, yet contextually important appearances. Bowie is by far the tantaliser role and a well played one at that.
In the style of the director's other films Batman Begins, Insomnia and Momento, time lines are jumbled and the story jumps forward and back between the present and the past. The time shifting doesn't, however, detract from the telling of the story. To the contrary. I found the movement back & forth in time enhanced the movie's ability to entrance it's audience and build suspense. It's the toying with the audience which the director has clearly set out to do, and he achieves his aim admirably. I strongly urge anyone who hasn't seen this flick to do so. You won't guess the ending. It'll leave you stunned. This film rates an 8 out of 10 from me.