Cage Match: Part 2

So, The Prestige vs. The Illusionist.

Both are quite good and well worth the time, even if you borrowed my DVD and fell asleep within the first ten minutes of pressing "Play." (Twice!) Note to Rungsinee: I feel that this is not so much a commentary on The Illusionist as it is on the whirlwind pace of your fabulous life. Or something.

I have to give the edge to The Prestige, though, simply because there was another level of plot twist. I can't say that it's a completely original plot twist, but I didn't tumble to it right away like I did the first level of twist. I was only slightly misled by the The Illusionist, mainly because the closer you get to the end, the more it becomes a total shout-out to The Usual Suspects.

Ignoring the plot and going strictly for eye candy, I still have to go with The Prestige. I have hearted Christian Bale since he was in Empire of the Sun — which I distinctly remember seeing with my mom, dad, and sister at the General Cinema in the plaza around the corner from Chapel Hill mall — and I've developed a soft spot for Michael Caine as well. The Illusionist only has Ed Norton, really, and I think looking at him made me think of Fight Club, which led to thoughts of Brad Pitt, and then brain function pretty much ceased.

Unlike Breach, the bit players in The Prestige weren't much of a distraction. Well, apart from this internal dialogue:

— Hey, is that David Bowie?
— Why would David Bowie be in this movie?
— Dunno. Why would he wear a moustache like that?

and
— Hey, is that the guy from Cheers?
— Uhm. Want to narrow it down a bit there, Einstein?
— You know. The English one Rebecca thought was so awesome. Didn't they get married or something?

Anyhow, off to try to finalize my viewing schedule for the Cleveland Film Festival. My friend and I are trying to arrange it so we spend one day watching stuff that interests us, but the festival schedulers have made that impossible. Do they not know that the target audience for a Chad Lowe movie is very similar to the target audience for the latest entry in the Paul Rudd oeuvre? Why schedule them opposite each other? Grr! Not to mention this, which I have decided that I have to see because it was set and filmed at OU. I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to end up at Tower City more than once before the month is out. Oh well.