Genres

Visitors Review

ironman_bluesteel 2012-05-25 06:21:28

When are we going to have a "Carter Beats the Devil"?

As I'm sure there will be dozens of poetic write ups for this movieavailable, I'll cut to the chase. What could have been a simple periodpiece about magicians was instead a decent drama. It had an atmospheresimilar to what I would expect a feature film of Carter Beats the Devilto have. When are we going to be able to see that get turned into amovie? What made this one unique was the fact that amongst the obvious,even expected, mysteries expected to entertain the audience, there werea few that catch you off guard. Get the audience thinking in onedirection and then show them something they didn't think was possible.Not sure if it fell on the editing floor, but there's no explanationfor how Hugh Jackman knew Christian Bale went under the stage and madethe decision not to conclude the show by coming out for the prestigepart, thereby setting Bale up for murder. Anyone figure that out fromthe movie? Also, I can't remember Hugh or Bale's character name. Icould only think of them as themselves. Same holds true for most actorsin the movie except one. Tesla, I mean, David Bowie, was phenomenal.Small role, but done very well. In an era where magicians lived thegrand life of rock star performers, it's an homage to have Bowie/teslathe scientist make his entrance through a performance curtain of highenergy electricity.

Sai Tarun 2012-05-24 23:38:44

Christopher Nolan's best Suspense masterpiece

This is one of the best movies i have ever seen in my life...Christopher Nolan is simply superb.The plus points in this movie are STORY, DIRECTION and PERFORMANCE...Before i watched this movie i was sure that "I AM GOING TO LIKE THISMOVIE"....... So i watched and the movie is full of twists...There is no doubt that whoever watches this movie will be surprised byevery twist...Even though the whole movie is all about how Christian BALE and HUGHJACK MAN take revenge on each other, it is EXCELLENT.... And....... Thepeople who haven't seen this movie WILL be shocked when they watch theending....I recommend this movie to everyone.... WHAT AN ENDING!!!!! 10/10

joesgirljeri 2012-05-16 12:21:14

A pretty good film

I liked this movie all right. It was visually beautiful, well-directedand cleverly laid out. I felt like the director led me through the plottwists wonderfully; with just enough mis-direction and showmanship thatI was slowly starting to catch on, but not confused at the finalreveal. It was a great surprise and really left you thinking.My only complaint is that I didn't feel emotionally invested in any ofthe characters. Robert is angry at his wife's death but she is gone soearly in the movie that you don't really feel the pain of his loss orunderstand his obsession. Borden's main motivator is the love for hisdaughter but you don't really get that either. He's presented as anemotionally unavailable man who is more in love with what he does,rather than the family he has. Olivia comes and goes without trulycapturing the affections of either man, or the audience. Her role inthe affair is the same as her role in the movie; a pretty girl who isthere to mislead you. At the end when you figure out what is going on,it makes a little more sense but it's not soon enough to make you feelcommitted to the movie, or its characters.

2012-05-16 01:37:23

Not just a movie about two magicians ...

Of course the plot outline involves two rivalry magicians who compete against each other... but I would say this movie is much more than that.Christopher Nolan is simply astonishing us with his direction and especially the screenplay. This movie also has the play with the time element in the screenplay just like his previous movies like Following and Memento, but in a different way (using two diaries!!!). I have watched this movie immediately after watching it for the first time just to catch up with the nuances and subtleties of the characters and screenplay, I was not disappointed. The movie starts with the dialog "Are you watching closely?" and you should remember this dialog and watch it very closely to get a good grip on the story line.As far as the acting is concerned my vote goes to Christian Bale for his performance as Alfred Borden. You just won't notice the differences in his acting when he interacts with Sarah (his wife) and Scarlett Johansson (his girlfriend) until and otherwise you see this movie for the second time. For him the acting flows just as natural as blood. Multifaceted acting just like his Batman Begins.Of course another wonderful performances by Michael Caine as Mr. Cutter and Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier.Truly a masterpiece. Kudos to Christopher Nolan. Storytelling at its best. Don't even think about missing this movie.

Erin xoxo 2012-05-10 23:16:00

Great film, lacked focus

I thought the movie itself keeping all logicality aside was a very goodfilm, however I found it contradicted itself in the movie. On one handthe movie was talking about how there was always an answer to magic ,however the whole re-making of oneself put into the movie totallycontradicted itself . That wasn't logical and impossible. I found theway the whole movie was put together very well, however it should havestuck to one main theme. I would still recommend seeing this movie, youwon't feel bored, however, it doesn't have a strong idea. The flow ofthe movie is very good, and the ending extremely well done. Definiatleyone of the best movies i have seen this past year.

falcata_claymore 2012-05-10 11:03:48

Very good. HOWEVER...

In my own opinion, The Prestige is a fantastic movie. It isintelligent, well written, well acted, phenomenally directed, andstands up to repeated viewings (a strength that many psychologicalthrillers lack). In other words, by itself it is brilliant, and is at alevel of excellency seldom reached by mainstream films. There is,however, a problem: The Prestige is a Christopher Nolan film.Let me explain myself here. Nolan is one of my favorite directors, andI wholeheartedly believe that he is this generation's Alfred Hitchcock.His debut film, Following, is a brilliant and criminally under seenlittle black-and-white independent film about a man who gets caught upin recreational larceny. What made this film different is how Nolantold it. There are three interweaving plot lines that eventually cometogether revealing an ending no one would ever see coming unlessthey've seen it before. Next, Nolan explored these techniques intodeeper and darker territory, resulting into the film that put him onthe map, and my personal all-time favorite movie: Memento.Which brings us back to The Prestige. Unlike with his first two films,Nolan had a large budget and big-name actors to work with, thanks tothe success of Memento, Insomnia, and Batman Begins. This is both ablessing and a curse. I say this, because, though with more money youcan see your ideas to their full potential, the film companies are farmore restrictive. After all, when was the last time a mainstream filmtook risks like the ones taken in Memento? Basically, if you have neverseen any of Nolan's films, or if you've only seen his two Batman films(which, I admit, are very good), The Prestige seems like anextraordinary film. But for someone who has seen Nolan's flawless olderwork, it seems shallow, its plot twists hollow, and you find yourselflooking too closely for clues that you'd expect to be in the film, butaren't. This doesn't mean that it is a failed attempt at an intelligentthriller, quite the opposite in fact. It's just that, compared toNolan's first two daring masterpieces, it ends up looking ratherordinary.

2012-05-06 04:37:17

What a trick _ A thinking man's film that entertains!

For me, this was one of the most involving movies of 2006. Like a magic trick, I was totally mesmerized. I like movies that don't follow trends and aren't predictable. I like movies that make you think. Nevertheless, I was initially frustrated at the end of this film, because I hadn't figured it out when the credits rolled. I finally got it while in the theater parking lot. After realizing this, I gained a great appreciation of the writing and the direction. This is not an easy story to tell. The story itself is a trick. there are clues throughout the film, but you don't realize it until its over. This is a movie you see with friends and can talk about for hours later. It's a perfect DVD purchase because you want to see it over and over to catch all the clues and tricks.

irisstrings 2012-05-05 19:01:38

Christopher Nolan's brilliant MAGIC act.

"Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act iscalled "The Pledge"; The magician shows you something ordinary, but ofcourse... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn"; Themagician makes his ordinary some thing do something extraordinary. Nowif you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's whythere's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with thetwists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you seesomething shocking you've never seen before." - Christopher Nolan.The above quote is yet another example of a case of delicate andextraordinary screen writing. Guess what, this movie stands to itsexpectations raised in first few minutes. This is not just about magicbut the life behind the acts. As Cutter (Michael Caine) narrates abovequotes we see a magician performing on stage. A strange thing happensduring his act (which of course I am not going to spoil) which takesyou right to the core of what this story is all about. That openingscene creates a lot of questions. But interesting as it has been itmakes you create your own theories. Its for you to find out whathappens next.This is a story about Robert Angier(Hugh Jackman)and Alfred Borden(Christian Bale) who are working as assistants for a magician MichaelCaine. Every single act they watch of their own master and othermagicians, they become curious about the acts and try and break thosein their heads. As the story continues the situations arise when theyrival against each other. That turns into a quest. A quest for thecreation of the greatest magic act ever. All you have to do is just sitback and enjoy this unbelievable ride into the world of MAGIC.First accolade for the movie goes to Christopher Nolan, who was myimmediate favorite the day I watched "Following". He has an uncannyability to present. He is a master story-teller. The movie has a lot ofpace. Though I saw the twist an hour earlier but it rather made me lookfor an explanation and Nolan has one that fits right in. He gives yetanother fantastic screenplay after Memento and Batman Begins.Non-linearly written, based on Jonathan Nolan's short story, this sagaglues you to your seat.The performances were fine. Especially Christian Bale. His acting givesthis project a real life. This movie shows us his talent beyond theaction scenes of Bruce Wayne' other half. Hugh Jackman wasn't farbehind him. He delivers his performance with much intensity as well.Their rivalry keeps you guessing and thinking all the time. Next up isMichael Caine. He fits quite admirably in the character of Cutter.Singing legend David Bowie is memorable in his short performance asTesla. Scarlett Johansson looks stunning as usual.This movie is dark, tricky, illusionary, intense and of course hassomething that I have never seen before. Applause to Mr Nolan.

2012-05-05 09:06:12

(3.5 STARS) "The Prestige": Dazzling and Entertaining

The "magic tricks" themselves featured in "The Prestige" may not impress you much - some of you can detect them before the ending, I think - but don't worry, because the real magic of "The Prestige" is the seamless storytelling of Christopher Nolan, who tells the engaging story of two rival magicians of the turn-of-the-century London, Borden and Angier, using Nolan's trademark, non-linear timeline. Supported by the wonderful cast from England and America, "The Prestige" is a dazzlingly entertaining film full of twists and turns.Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are perfectly cast as Borden and Angier, formerly friends and assistants to a lesser-talented magician. But they become long-time rivals after a disastrous accident on the stage, and both illusionists are willing to sacrifice everything, one for craft, the other for showmanship.This is how I would describe the world of "The Prestige," but the simple truth is the film itself is magic, or illusion, of very entertaining kind, which makes us keep guessing "What next?" with a blend of real history and total fantasy. See the character of Nicola Tesla, real-life revolutionary inventor, played by delightfully eccentric David Bowie, and you know what I mean. On the opposite side of him lives a contraption inventor Cutter, played by Michael Caine, whose humanity makes a great contrast to two star magicians. Unfortunately the film is not perfect. Like "Batman Begins," Christopher Nolan still does not know how to create credible female characters in spite of the impressive cast. Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Piper Perabo appear as supports, but their roles are relegated to the second fiddle. "The Prestige" is not exactly about the magic itself; some part of it involves sci-fi elements that even David Copperfield cannot or wouldn't use. The film is more about the rivalry between two magicians, which result in passion and obsession hidden under the spectacular stage tricks. As such "The Prestige" is successful.

Zamolxe 2012-05-04 23:36:07

I'm the slave of my obsessions... and one day they'll choose to destroy me.

Like The Illusionist, The Prestige plays a trick on the viewer. You areinvited to believe the movie is all about magic, but in reality itdrives at something completely different.The Prestige, beyond all the twists and turns of its intricate plot, isa movie about OBSESSION. That is the main theme and everything in themovie is subordinate to it. The bigger a character's obsession, themore of what is precious to him he will lose by the end of the film.The Prestige is a plot-heavy movie. It doesn't really give its actorsroom to shine (though they all acquit themselves admirably), but thisis not a problem because the narrative is just so fascinating, theevents so spectacular, the twists so abrupt, it all feels like acinematic roller-coaster.Stylistically, the movie will feel strangely familiar to those who'veseen last year's Batman Begins. It's mostly because the great majorityof the key crew, as well as stars Bale and Caine, are at the origin ofboth movies. The cinematography is precise, elegant and somewhat"cold", but this works well, keeping the movie grounded and maintainingthe focus on the plot.The Prestige is not just a bunch of cheap tricks. Its message on thedestructive nature of obsessions (kind of reminded me of "Amadeus" forthat reason), coupled with a brilliant script and quality productionvalues make it one of the best films of the year. A must see foreveryone.

2012-04-30 08:21:00

Entertaining Mystery

Viewed this after reading some prior reviews, curious if I could anticipate the ending. While it's true you won't like the key characters mid-movie, the acting was great, and I'm sure most people will enjoy this flick even if they are confused at the end. How many films can you say that about!

2012-04-29 21:37:01

Great film!

The only other movie I've seen Christian Bale in was "Royal Deceit" with Gabriel Byrne made several years ago. He's quite a good actor and of course you can't miss with Michael Caine and Hugh Jackman. I just loved the way these two illusionist/magicians tried to outdo one another. The ending surprised me though and that's the reaction a good movie should have on you! Not going to go into intricate plot details, all I can say is that if you enjoy drama and suspense, this movie is certainly it.

iKramerica-1 2012-04-29 17:52:07

Same old same old from Nolan, which isn't bad but isn't great...

No, I'm not going to give it away, since that would suck. But I won'thold back from certain problems so it might make it easier to figureout once you see it...This is no 8.5 out of 10. It's just not. It's an adaptation of a bookthat gets confused, and a mystery that can't be solved becauseinformation is missing for a long while, and then once it's providedit's easy, but lame. This is the same problem that Batman Begins, andto a lesser extent, Momento suffers from. The endings are over dramaticand anti-climactic at once, and you are left wishing the movie wasshorter and more interesting.I won't give the "mystery" away other than to say the magic involved isso lame, it ruins the story by the end. Not the "illusions" but theREAL magic you hear about in the trailer, commercials, etc. Theillusions were good though, and finding out a little about them as theyare executed was entertaining. Not just how they work, but how you comeup with them and how to remain "fresh" as a magical performer.This movie has a lot of double crosses, but it reaches a point thatthere is no reason to believe anything being done or said is real. Thusyou can't really have a stake in the story, you can't root for anyone,because you don't know who they are nor do you really like them.Everyone's a jerk!! Nobody is a hero, or takes the high road, or seemsto have any sort of conscious about killing, maiming, or torturingother people. Everyone is vengeful and selfish and cruel.The directing was all over the map, the plot gets muddled, and thepacing was very slow and labored. Maybe if 20-30 minutes were cut fromthis film it would have snapped and crackled like the Tesla machinesthat were misrepresented in the film.And Nolan doesn't seem to care about time-lines and continuity at all.While it might have worked in Momento because of the nature of thefilm, in Batman the constant time shifting got tiresome, and in thisfilm, despite it being inspired by the way the book works, Nolan doesso little to distinguish between time periods and characters at variousstages of their lives, you honestly can't tell who they are, when theyare supposed to be at that point of the movie, and even what countrythey are in!And that's pretty much the same complaint I had with Batman Begins.Batman wasn't likable either, the time skips and flashbacks and dreamsgot to be too convoluted and distracting, the villains got confused (asit was a mystery who was the bad guy, yet information wasn't providedas to why it was a mystery). Batman was also long, and lacked the funfactor, and it was overly dramatic. I guess the new trend in movies is"no such thing as right or wrong, good or bad" but I think that POV isas lame as many of the recent movies that espouse it.And finally, to the acting. Michael Caine was being Michael Caine, andhe was good enough, but phoning it in. Charlotte was underused andunderdeveloped. The others were just there, completely unconvincing andone dimensional. Hugh Jackman had zero star quality in this movie andcould have been any actor.Then there's, Christian Bale, who's just too mediocre to pull off theseroles. He was mediocre in American Psycho, he was mediocre in Batman,and he's just as mediocre here. He seems very disconnected from theother actors and the arena/world he's supposed to be inhabiting.But hey, what do I know? Others seem to love this movie for somereason. I just thought it was okay. Not a waste of 2 hours, but nothingto recommend to your friends as a must see, either.But if you are looking for film-making or mystery on the level of TheUsual Suspects or Fight Club or even the 6th Sense, you'll bedisappointed...

Laura Seabrook 2012-04-29 04:48:50

Superb exploration of its subject matter

I've just watched The Prestige and thoroughly enjoyed it.I've always had a fascination for stage and street magic - not so muchto "figure out the tricks", but with an appreciation of thecombination, of stagecraft, misdirection, and sleight of hand. Thegreat magicians aren't remembered for "clever tricks" - rather, for theoverall entertainment, for the illusion.And this film is perfect for all that. There is a mystery to it (infact, at least two mysteries), but the clues to each are telegraphedall throughout the film, in plain sight. You have to watch and bealert.I figured out one of the mysteries in the middle of the film, but wasstill fascinated by how it was done. I think this is the same thrill Iget when I'm watching a film about con artists (or a good episode ofthe old Mission Impossible), because what is shown is not always whatis.And as this film explains, it's not how such things are done thatmatters (because once it's explained, no one cares any more), rather,it's that creation of illusion so that we have "mystery", that does.

imdb-45 2012-04-25 11:09:56

They don't make them like this often

No matter what you think of the "twist" in this film, it is extremelywell done and well conceived. You may have heard that the limits arestretched in this film but that is what any fictional tale is supposedto do. The acting is top notch, the script is tight, the performancesare fun and even David Bowie does a superb job with his small role,something musicians typically fail to do, e.g. Eric Clapton. Bowie ismemorable. What makes this even more remarkable is that the film is noless stellar with a second watching, even though you know the gimmicksand what's behind these magicians' tricks. Here, the true value isabout the story and the performances and not some cheap effort designedto take your money. I wish Hollywood would make inventive films likethis one instead of rehashing yet another old cartoon, superhero, novelor other tale that doesn't need retelling.

katyjoy_777-1 2012-04-24 16:52:53

Abracadabra

"The Prestige" will dazzle you. It will show you the impossible andyou'll love it. It will impress you. It will flabbergast you. You willsit in the theater after having seen it and try to figure out what youjust saw. You will want to run back to the ticket-booth and buy anotherticket to watch it again. You will want to watch it again, to catch it.One question will haunt you. Was it magic? "Prestige" is certainlymovie magic, there is no doubt about that. After having waited inanticipation for many months for "Prestige", I was pleased to have itexceed my expectations. Starring Christian Bale ("Batman"), HughJackman (Wolverine from "X-Men"), Scarlett Johansson (The Island),Rebecca Hall, and Michael Caine (Secondhand Lions, Alfred from"Batman"), "Prestige" is certainly filled with prestigious people. Thecast also include Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis (Gollum), and David Bowie.Chris Bale and Jackman play two magicians who begin as friends, but thefriendship turns to obsessive rivalry when tragedy strikes. Bale isobviously the better magician, but Jackman has flair. When Baleperforms "the greatest magic trick he's ever seen", Jackman decides toget even and the make a name for himself at the same time. Their hatredfor each other puts Bale's wife and child and Scarlett Johansson in themiddle of it all. The danger increases and the intensity rises as themen make attempt after attempt to outwit the other.Chris Bale and Michael Caine had the most impressive acting, and Iloved every minute they were on camera. That's not to say thatJohansson and Jackman aren't great too. Surprisingly, Bowie gives apretty good performance, not at all reminiscent of "The Labyrinth",which is a relief.According to Caine's character, "Every great magic trick consists ofthree acts. The first act is called "The Pledge"; The magician showsyou something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. The secondact is called "The Turn"; The magician makes his ordinary some thing dosomething extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret... youwon't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige";this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in thebalance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before." Themagician of this movie is the director, and the actors who make hisfilm come alive. When you see "The Prestige", you will see somethingshocking you've never seen before. You will look for the secret, butyou won't find it. Because of course, you're not really looking. Youdon't really want to know. Interestingly enough, movies, just likeillusions, consist of three acts. "The Prestige" converts a film into amagic trick. If you think you have it all figured out, think again.Because the only parts you've seen are the Pledge and the Turn. ThePrestige is still to come.

it7276 2012-04-20 12:12:49

A movie that isn't as smart as it tries to be

First of all, I can't speak to the quality of any of the performances,since I don't really tend to notice these things. So just to be clear:my rating isn't a comment on any of the actors.Basically, whether or not I enjoyed this movie came down to my reactionto the multiple twists in this movie...and I saw most of them coming amile away. So did the two people I saw the movie with. It seems likethe movie could have been smarter, and the twists could possibly havebeen concealed better, but edited together in this way, the movie justseemed like a hack version of a better movie.I found the concept of two feuding magicians interesting, and I cameinto the movie hopeful, but I was ultimately let down by a movie thatwas too long and didn't handle a nonlinear storyline very well.

moviegoerdude123 2012-04-19 14:07:16

A True Cinematic Experience; A Perfect Masterpice

Few movies are on the same visceral level as Christopher Nolan's "ThePrestige". Most movies and film directors allow their actors (uusualyA-List Stars) take over their films making story an afterthought.However I applaud Nolan for while letting his actors do their best andtruly achieve superb acting, he keeps them at bay, making the overallexperience more complete. All the actors still truly shine here withHugh Jackman giving a standout performance as a conflicted, obsessiveman who is brilliant and mad at the same time. He is sharp, dramatic,and fulfilling and I hope he does more roles like this rather thanplaying Wolverine in X-Men. Christian Bale matches him very well as thesly, creepy, but perhaps a little more lighter character than Jackman'sgiving the film more balance. Michael Caine delivers a top-notchperformance as is expected and Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansenn arequite good as well making a superb ensemble cast.Now as for the much talked about plot, this is where the film trulyshines. The plot, like most of Nolan's films it told while randomlyswitching through different time-lines but it always very clear when weare in the storyline and each time we switch back to a new time we gainmore insight and exposition making the main storyline an excitingpuzzle to piece together. The twists and surprises are plentiful andvaried, all perfectly revealed and perhaps very smartly reserved fordifferent points during the film. For example forty minutes through thefilm we have one plot twist, ten minutes later we have another, fifteenminutes later we have another, and Nolan keeps the best for lastdelivering the last plot twist in the final minutes or so crowning thefilm with a true prestige. One of The greatest things about this plotand Nolan Films in general is that they are visually and mentallystimulating at the same time proving that big-budget films withHollywood actors can be smart and entertaining. Also along with themain plot there is a minor sub-plot of the romance between Bale'scharacter and the two female leads which turns to be tragic andheart-breaking and giving this very stylish film an emotional core.The last thing i can say about this film is the atmosphere. "ThePrestige" is most likely one of the most atmospheric films ever madeand this in equal part to the haunting score and the hypnoticcinematography courtesy of Nolan standby Wally Pfister. The scorefirstly has often been criticized at being too simple and not beingable to stand on its own without the film. But that's the Point! Forsome strange reason people expect that they can listen to an originalscore that was meant to be part of a complex plot and paired withcinematic ambiance and still enjoy it. However this score wasrightfully designed to be an integral part of a perfect whole.Pfister'sCinematography is breathtaking making each frame evocative in its ownright, and gradually brings you intimately close with the charactersand the wonderful period sets.If there's one thing I need to warn you about this film is thesuspense. I found myself having trouble breathing during some scenesdue to anticipation or terror and throughout the film i could not tearmy eyes away from the screen. The film is highly addictive andengrossing. Nolan rivals Hitchcock in terms of mastery of suspense. Bewarned though, this film is dark and depressing. One thing Nolan couldhave done was adding some sort of comic relief. Notwithstanding this asuperb film and is among the best films ever made and rightfullydeserves your attention. :)

nanajbg 2012-04-15 15:55:40

poor cinema

Why is this described as a thriller, a mystery? It had neither thrill,nor mystery, nor intelligence for that matter. When I look for movies to watch I always mention my favorites (Memento,The Game etc.) hoping for similar kind of cinematic entertainment, andeventually this movie came up. It was supposed to be as intense,interesting and intelligent as the mentioned ones. But, it was just onebig disappointment. Maybe, if I had no expectations, the experience ofwatching it would have been better...I suppose this might be thrilling and suspenseful for someone whousually doesn't prefer that genre and is used to the "lighter" moviesyou don't have to put much thought in. But even for that person thiswouldn't be the first pick for an evening at the cinema, so I reallydon't understand the amount of attention this movie got.

Gary Olson 2012-04-15 00:21:18

Oscar Sleeper

Sleeper for Oscar. The suspense keeps adding up throughout to anunbelievably astonishing and satisfying ending. I predict BestSupporting nominations for Michael Cain and Scarlett Johansson. BestActor nod for Hugh Jackman and Best Picture nomination. I went in atthe urging of my wife and was incredibly captivated with this saga. Inever knew what "The Prestige" meant (or is), but was slowly drawn intoit's full meaning through the skillful writing and the expert actingand staging of this period piece of art. Not only skillful acting,writing and staging, but magnificent and sweeping cinematography and ascore that, while unnoticed during the movie, came to a crescendo thatmatched the satisfaction I felt at the end.