Filmspotting #123: The Illusionist / Top 5 High School Movies / Screwball Comedy Awards
Inspired directorial vision or dull magic show? That's the crux of this week's review of Neil Burger's "The Illusionist." The first of two prominent magic-themed period dramas to be released this fall (Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" is the other), The Illusionist is a revenge thriller, romance and mystery all rolled into one. Your hosts compare it to everything from "The Princess Bride" to one of the first images ever projected onto a movie screen ... amd not always favorably. Star Edward Norton's performance is debated as well -- restrained and deliberate, or boring and lacking charisma? Just about the only thing that Adam and Sam did agree on is that Paul Giamatti, as Inspector Uhl, gives his second great performance of the summer. (Anyone remember "Lady In The Water"? Or did we agree to forget that movie ever existed?)
Also on the show, Massacre Theatre, Listener Feedback, our Ferris Bueller Memorial Top 5 High School Movies and The Astas -- our Screwball Comedy Marathon Awards.
Plus, some quick thoughts on Woody Allen's "Scoop," Michael Winterbottom's "Road To Guantanamo," Jean-Pierre Melville's "Army of Shadows," "Idlewild" and Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada."
Music by Spoon from the album "Kill The Moonlight" courtesy of Merge Records.
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And by All The King's Men... Academy Award Winner Sean Penn leads a star studded cast which includes Oscar Nominee Jude Law, Oscar Nominee Kate Winslet, and Oscar Winner Sir Anthony Hopkins. All the King’s Men is in theaters September 22nd.
Filmspotting #123
:18-18:34 - Review: "The Illusionist"
18:35-19:07 - Audio Feedback
Music: Spoon, "Something To Look Forward To"
19:54-22:37 - Flashback, Peerflix Winner, New DVDs
22:38-26:33 - Poll Questions, Random Chatter
26:34-40:18 - Listener Feedback (Truly Moving Pictures)
Music: Spoon, "Stay Don't Go"
41:03-44:08 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Eric Quigley)
44:09-50:07 - Bringing Up Baby Anonymous
50:08-1:03:12 - "The Astas" - Screwball Marathon Awards
Music: Spoon, "Back To The Life"
1:04:01-1:08:44 - Quick Reviews: Scoop, Road To Guantanamo, Army of Shadows, Idlewild, The Devil Wears Prada
1:08:45-1:21:40 - Ferris Bueller Memorial Top 5: High School Movies
1:21:41-1:24:00 - Next Show/Close/Outtake
Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.
4 Comments:
An hour and 24 minutes long? I'm glad I just upgraded my MP3 player so I can fit your podcast onto it.
For what it's worth, note that we used a smaller bit rate and the file size is way smaller than previous shows despite being really long. And we can't detect a drop in quality... Thanks.
I have to agree with Sam on the Illusionist. I'm really surprised you didn't discuss the ending, which I found incredibly cheap and insulting. The twist, while not unexpected, was explained using information deliberately withheld from the audience, a tactic that conveniently relieved Burger from the chore of inventing a truly novel chain of events. I wasn't surprised when I read that the love triangle, the murder, and the characters of the inspector and Sophie were either invented or greatly expanded by Burger when he adapted Millhauser's story. Why adapt material that you feel needs to be altered so substantially? As for the performances, I have the same complaint about Norton that one of you once expressed about Kevin Spacey: I feel like I can see him consciously making choices as he performs. Giamatti was great, and so different here than in any of his other roles that I found myself constantly trying to see the long-suffering schlub underneath the accent and finery. The performance that really stuck out for me was Rufus Sewell as the Crown Prince. He should get more work.
Your top 5 list on High School movies caught me off guard. I knew there were good movies based on HS students, but I didn't realize how many GREAT movies there are!
Fast Times, Election, Breakfast Club, Clueless... all movies that will have long lives and will be relevant for years to come.
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