Now That's Magic!

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2008)

My summary title refers not to the overall quality of the film itself, but to the horrendous confidence trick used by the author to resolve the plot. Yes, I know it's an ending well prepared for, in fact the so-called twist is laid on with a trowel throughout the movie; but the moral the writer had in mind appears to be "Don't mass murder your electrically created duplicates or karma will visit you".
Well, thank's, mate. I'll be careful not to in future...
I caught this on DVD the other night and having read a few of the positive and negative comments about the movie find myself falling between the two opposing view points. I certainly agree the ending doesn't work but there's also a lot to commend the film.
Firstly, it holds the interest, with an involving narrative and likable performances from the principals. The rivalry between Jackman and Bale is both dark and witty, with a tendency towards much beard- wearing. Michael Caine is his usual bright self, although his performance is exactly the same as he gives in 50 other Michael Caine movies. David Bowie gives a neat 3 scene cameo as Nikola Tesla, who in real life looked like a member of Metallica and stood about 6ft 7 inches tall. Despite this lack of verisimilitude I liked the character's inclusion very much.
The atmosphere of the Victorian stage show is well presented, and the twists with the diaries is well done. The fact that you spot Bale has a twin almost instantly doesn't spoil things too much. Nice to have a twin that would chisel his own fingers off so you could perfect a stage "trick", though.
Christopher Nolan seems to be going down the Shyamalan route by having a twist ending in every film he does. It worked in Batman Begins and Memento. Here it's as flat as a mortar board sat on by Oliver Hardy. Leave off the twists for a while, Chris.
I think one commentator's remark that the lack of preparation in causing the suspension of disbelief for the audience is right on the money. In an otherwise realistic milieu, we are hit with a device completely out of Alice in Wonderland, for no very good reason.
A goodish but flawed movie; nobody ever seems to have solved the script problems.