two reviews - the Breakup and the Prestige Reviews
i've recently seen the Break-Up on DVD and The Prestige at the theater without any expectations and i was pleasantly suprised by both. Clearly these films are not for every pallette but the execution and acting for both left both films in my head well after the actual viewing.
The Break-Up.
I am not into chick flicks and this is great because the Break-up is no chick-flick. It realistically presents the comedy and tragedy when breaking up a highly-involved relationship. You get to see both Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn out of their usual genres and it helps that their excellent chemistry makes the film all the more believable. I found myself teary at little heartbreaking moments. Your appreciation for this movie is contingent on your experiences with breakups or tough times. I appreciated this movie. It had no happy handing and lacked the frills and happily-ever-after that is usually forced or predicatble in many "romantic comedies" these days but it still left me feeling good and impressed by the depth that the movie offered.
The Prestige
This was exbf's lovely idea and being that I don't even watch TV (and when I watch TIVO, I fast-forward through commercials)....I had no idea AT ALL as to what this would be about. What it does so well aside from the directing and acting is that it captures the period and the intrigue at the turn-of-the-century, when people were mystified by the inexplicable, science, and magic. This sets the stage for the rivalry you are presented with between Christian Bale (I never even saw Batman Returns) and Hugh Jackman (a personal fave). It's the kind of movie that you could have meaningful and engaging conversation about after (like what exbf and I did). You'll also really enjoy Scarlett Johansen's eye-popping boobs literally bursting out of her dress and pretend I never mentioned this.