file under: mindfreak

saw the prestige monday afternoon with N (who may or may not approve of today's somewhat sarcastic title). i was having trouble sleeping, so i got up a little earlier than expected and we did our best to take advantage of the sunny and crisp fall day.

i can't remember the last movie we saw in a theater (oh, wait - it was that documentary on ed "big daddy" roth). nothing seemed to be worth the effort (and cost) of the theater experience after that, and even that one was more of a snap decision after brunch than a real desire to seek it out. plus, we're doing the zip.ca thing, so we've had a steady stream of dvd's to keep up with at home.

anyway, i liked the prestige well enough. i had accidentally stumbled upon a description of the plot twist online, so my experience was a little compromised. it did mean, however, that i could fully appreciate the little hints carefully laid out along the way.

as we walked home and chit-chatted about various aspects of the movie and our impressions of them, about what worked and what didn't, i found that what i may have enjoyed most was the subtle connection drawn between the story unfolding on the screen and its similarities to the film industry and the modern movie-going experience (ie, that audiences know about the real world, but want to be amazed for a while, even if they know it's just an ultimately disappointing trick). that was a smart angle to layer in there, mr. nolan.

not to mention the heady joke of making a movie obsessed with doubles (where two people - or two birds, for that matter, or two cats - are assumed to be the same individual) by using the same person to play more than one role (like hugh jackman, for example). ha! nice meta, guy!