Empire of the Sun

Title: Empire of the Sun
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Joe Pantoliano
Year: 1987
MPAA: Rated PG for violence and mild language.
Date of Review: October 28, 2006

Throughout Steven Spielberg's career, he has often made films in which children experience traumatizing events and meet overwhelming odds - and they usually handle things a lot better than the adults. Empire of the Sun is the culmination of all of these themes of childhood strength and courage, and is one of Spielberg's best films.

Starring Christian Bale as the young Jim Graham who loses his parents while living in Japan on the backend of World War II, Empire of the Sun tells the story of Jim's survival as he encounters an array of colourful characters and comes to realize the lengths people will go to to save themselves. One such character is Basie, played by John Malkovich, whose intentions are never really known, but his craftiness, intelligence and natural sense of leadership keep him alive.

Since the film sees the war through the eyes of Jim, a great sense of wonder and naivety is added to the action. The audience is never shown the enemy's face, and battle scenes are done very theatrically, so that when we see Jim cheering as the planes wiz by and drop bombs, we can't help but also be in a sense of awe. Spielberg shows us beauty in destruction and death.

Empire of the Sun is also one of Spielberg's most genuinely emotional films, without resorting to tearjerking or overly sentimental scenes. Christian Bale's performance as Jim is astounding, and one of the best lead performances by a child actor ever. He embodies both the resourcefulness and the ignorance of the events around him very well, and his delivery of dialogue is very realistic. One line that really hits hard occurs after he cheers on the planes attacking the internment camp, and says to the doctor, "I forget what my parents look like."

Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun is a film of great beauty and humanity. It shows both the horrors of battle, and the extremes people will go to (both good and bad) in order to survive. It's also incredible to see that Christian Bale's talent was so apparent even at a young age.

9/10

The Prestige

Title: The Prestige
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine
Year: 2006
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images.
Date of Review: October 22, 2006

Christopher Nolan does it again with his latest film, The Prestige. Taking place in turn-of-the-century London, it explores the personal lives and professional rivalry of two stage magicians. Employing the incredible writing skills of both Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, The Prestige has a story filled with twists that leaves the audience guessing until - quite literally - the very last frames of the film.

Starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier, respectively, these two young men develop a rivalry early on in their careers, each one constantly trying to outdo the other. Jackman's Angier is the sympathetic character - the victim of Borden's aggression, and the character whom the audience is made to sympathize with. Bale's Borden, on the other hand, is an inhumanly cold character whose desire to be the best overpowers him. When Borden's arrogance causes and accident on stage, it sends Angier on a journey of revenge, initially wanting to kill Borden, but eventually deciding it would be more fulfilling to constantly outdo his magical acts.

But as secrets are revealed, truths told and lies uncovered, which (if either) character is truly honorable in their endeavors? And could it be possible that one of them has achieved the impossible - real magic?

Much like Nolan's last effort, Batman Begins, The Prestige features a fantastic cast of supporting actors, including Michael Caine as Cutter, mentor to the two young magicians, David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, an eccentric scientist, and Scarlett Johansson as Olivia, a young woman trained as a magician's assistant. Each character brings about monumental truths about the two leads, and help to bring everything together in the revelatory climax.

The set designs, costumes and atmosphere are both strikingly authentic and eerily surreal. Creating a genuine sense of uneasiness throughout, the visuals truly suck the viewer into the film, making what occurs on screen much more believable. The music is subtle and effective, with Nolan reuniting with David Julyan, the composer who did the music for all of his films except Batman Begins.

Near the beginning of the film, one of the characters says that "the excitement is found in the mystery of a magic trick, and if the audience discovers the secret, it will seem so obvious and simple that they can't help but be disappointed." Many of the preliminary reviews for the film make it out to have a very disappointing ending, largely due to what is explained in this very quote. Therefore, it cannot be just coincidence - Christopher and Jonathan Nolan have proved themselves too talented writers to allow such build-up to something that would disappoint so many. It is the whole purpose of the film. Once you discover what has really occurred, you are almost left thinking "I wish it had ended before the explanation."

Many might say that that is definitely not a positive point, but arguably it is. The film itself is one giant magic trick, and it is incredible to see how it unfolds, and then to see how everything was truly done. The Prestige will surely be forgotten when it comes to Oscar time, simply because it is not the type of film that the Academy tends to honor. However, it is most definitely deserving, as it is one of the best films of the year, and surely to become a cult classic.

Abra cadabra.

8.5/10

The Departed

Title: The Departed
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson
Year: 2006
MPAA: Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material.
Date of Review: October 15, 2006

Martin Scorsese's lastest is actually a remake of a cult Hong Kong crime flick trilogy entitled Infernal Affairs. This series of films presented a flashy, stylish, and overly convoluted story about dual moles in the police and crime world, each trying to discover who the other one is. The amazing thing about what Martin Scorsese has done, is that he took the basic concept and created something entirely his own. It definitely worked, and provides the audience with a return to Martin Scorsese in his greatest form since 1990's Goodfellas.

With an all-star cast, every performance is impressive and feels unforced and truly gripping. Non-fans of Leonardo DiCaprio will definitely gain a new appreciation of his acting ability after seeing this film. And while DiCaprio definitely proves himself as a strong actor, others like Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Jack Nicholson only further prove their cinematic prowess, as they provide gritty urban performances, and evidently had some fun with them.

Beginning with a beautifully photographed slow motion tracking shot of Jack Nicholson's profile as he walks through a warehouse, it sets the stage for a brutal yet elegant cinematic experience. Scorsese is at the top of his game with this film, showing that he can still deliver the sweeping camera movements and dark, shockingly violent content, while also showing that he has matured as a filmmaker. Like Goodfellas, the film is narrated by its main character - in this case, Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson). He's a hardboiled, uncompromising gangster in Boston with a sick sense of humor and, at 70 years of age, a libido that would make most 19 year old men feel ashamed. But he still has the signature Jack Nicholson charm, where you can't help but like the guy regardless of how horrible a man he is.

The script is smart. Really smart. It takes what was in Infernal Affairs and plants in like a seed, growing something entirely different out of the soil of the American film industry. It's less about the style and more about the story and the issues it raises about both organized crime and the police force whom we trust with our lives to protect us. In an incredible scene involving Leonardo DiCaprio - an ex-cop working undercover for crime lord Nicholson - in which he confronts his superior officer about Nicholson, he says "Why haven't you arrested him on one of the million other things that you've seen him do, that I've seen him do. The man murders somebody, what are you waiting for?" It transgresses the usual good cop, bad cop formula and becomes a hard-hitting moral tale.

Martin Scorsese's The Departed is, without a doubt, the best film of the year, and in a surprising turn, one of the best films of Scorsese's entire career. It oozes with energy and keeps a taut pace through its entire 153 minute running time. It's gritty, violent, and shocking, but it's all for a good cause. The Departed tells one hell of a story, and it shouldn't be missed.

9/10