The Man in the High Castle - Season 2

 Spoiler-free.

This show's ability to make me care and cheer for the most unexpected characters continues to amaze.

(read my review of Season 1 here)

Based on the Philip K. Dick story, The Man in the High Castle features an alternate reality where the Axis Powers won WWII. The entire world is now controlled by Nazis and the Japanese Empire, with neutral zones separating their territories. Season two has a more concise plot, when The Man in the High Castle meets with our heroine Juliana (Alexa Davalos) setting her on a journey that he hopes will lead this reality to the best possible outcome that he has seen take place in the mysterious films.

The story seems to take many rabbit trails from that beginning until it finally comes around to the end ten episodes later, but by then all those trails are tied together wonderfully. I did feel like Joe (Luke Kleintank) was wasting time, though. He had an important part to play, but was put in place too soon, and then since he's a main character we still had to spend time with him, as he puttered around aimlessly. His father (Sebastian Roché) was an excellent new character.

This season felt more purposeful than the first, and it was nice that I already knew the characters.

Then there's Frank (Rupert Evans) now with a major death wish who slowly gets involved in the Resistance while hanging out with his lovable and well-meaning friend Ed (DJ Qualls) and the hilariously stuck-up antiques dealer (Brennan Brown). When Frank is on screen he feels like the main character, but with this season I cared more about what he was doing than what he was feeling.

Chief Inspector Kido (Joel de la Fuente) was almost the exact opposite. I found myself so involved in understanding what he was thinking and feeling that I often forgot to pay attention to what he was actually doing. His changes of countenance based on whether his company was above or beneath him was fascinating to witness; relating to every person so differently, from a fatherly/brotherly relationship with his Sergeant (Lee Shorten) to actual creepy villainy to the people he interrogates. I didn't get much new out of Trade Minister Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) this time, but that is only because the first season established him so well; his part of the story was ever-important and intriguing.

Pretty much the best.

My favorite continues to be Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith (Rufus Sewell), and I loved what this season did with him and his wife (Chelah Horsdal) and family. From beginning to end it was nothing but incredible. I can hardly believe that I could sympathize so strongly with someone who is a Nazi, but that's the magic of this show. Even though there are actual Nazis involved, characters aren't defined by their affiliations -- outwardly or inwardly. Smith wears the uniform, but we know him and know it doesn't fit him. However his teenage son (Quinn Lord) is completely steeped in the Nazi culture, and yet we still care for him too.

Juliana is the piece that connects all these people, and it was so neat to see how she brings everything together. I particularly enjoyed watching her when she's living in the American Reich, visiting with the Smiths and learning about the Nazi ways. It was all such an epic combination of friendly and proper and utopian, and deeply, deeply disturbing.

Also pretty much the best.

The show is visually beautiful, the filming style reflecting and enhancing the smooth, sharply detailed tone. I love that even the evil was presented visually with no bias -- the magnificence of the Greater Nazi Reich shown in all its glory -- the awe of it effectively making it even more harrowing. Rich with complex characters, and a twisting, mind-boggling sci-fi plot, The Man in the High Castle continues to defy convention for unusually exceptional results.

Upcoming Movie Roundup - February

January saw no surprises, and I was so busy that I didn't even get out to a third Star Wars viewing! I enjoyed Sherlock: The Abominable Bride at home, and am currently enjoying Agent Carter's second season. February has a few movies to talk about and a few movies I'd like to see at home sometime, but it seems that I can just copy and paste my theater plans from last month: if I go to the theater, it'll probably be for The Force Awakens. And that's fine by me!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Feb 5th; PG-13
Ugh, I feel like such a bad Jane Austen fan for even mentioning this. But look: I love Jane Austen. I love zombies. I have already seen many Austen-knock-off movies (Lost in Austen, Jane Austen Book Club, Austenland, etc.) and they were all their very own special brand of terrible. Some more so than others. If I were to not watch this movie, it would be because I'm be afraid that it would ruin my enjoyment of the good, 1995 P&P. But I've already been subjected to all those knock-offs, and the 2005 P&P, which didn't ruin the other one, and how much worse could it be with zombies? Not much -- at least there's no Keira Knightley! It might be dumb and terrible and disrespectful, but it'll also have zombies, so it's not supposed to be taken seriously. Plus, it's got Lily James! And Matt Smith! And Sam Riley! (And wow, I'm actually kinda sad this isn't just a regular P&P adaptation...) So that's my explanation for this next sentence: I want to see this movie. Help.




Hail, Caesar!
Feb 5th; PG-13
WELL -- the Coen Brother's new movie looks like a win! (It's got a comma and an exclamation point in its title, so you know it's gonna be good!) This trailer is downright brilliant, and I would watch it if the whole movie was like that even without a plot. The Coens always seem to be doing something new, and totally out-of-the-box, and this one fits the bill more than ever. It even almost feels like a Wes Anderson film from the trailer, though with a distinctly Coen's sense of humor. This total oddball throws back to Hollywood's Golden Age, and follows around a Hollywood "Fixer" (Josh Brolin) as he... fixes.... things.... ... The whole cast is absolutely giant -- George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Canning Tatum, Jonah Hill... It doesn't really matter to me whether the movie is generally considered bad or good. I want to see it. That cast, those directors, the 50's, Hollywood -- I just must see it. But, if I were to venture a guess, I would think it'd certainly be on the good side.




The Choice
Feb 5th; PG-13
Okay, anyone who knows me know that I am not in any way a Nicholas Sparks fan. But, anyone who knows me well knows that I surprisingly often watch movies based on his novels anyway. When it comes to sappy romantic drama, there is nothing better. And I really do meant that; these movies are tear-jerking, squishy, cheesy cry-fests, but they are of a very high quality. So high, in fact, that actors I like very often get cast in them. Like this one, for instance, stars Teresa Palmer of Warm Bodies and Benjamin Walker of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The zombie killer and the vampire killer come together for a little Southern romance. Nicholas Sparks or not, that's interesting enough -- maybe even if someone winds up dead! Maybe.




Deadpool
Feb 12th; R
[Rant] Not watching Deadpool will probably be one of the most disappointing moments in my movie-watching career. I love Deadpool. When I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine I didn't even know who he was, but since this movie became a thing I've looking into him and found out more about him than any other superhero yet. The strips he's in are absolutely hilarious, and his powers are brilliantly gory. But this movie... I guess I knew from the first trailer when I actually had to specify "green band trailer" in order to find the appropriate one, but this movie goes beyond what I'll allow myself to watch, and in fact, what I want to watch. It's rated R. No duh. But let me break it down: Violence -- okay, that's good. Deadpool would probably be terrible without R violence. Language -- "language throughout" specifically. That'll be about 100 f-bombs. Whew. I can brave language, but even then it usually detracts from the movie. All I see here is 100 times someone could have said something original. Sexual content -- yep, can I just ask, WHY? Why does the movie need this? Answer: it actually doesn't. And here's the real kicker: Graphic nudity -- that takes the cake. And that brings me to my point which encapsulates the whole problem I have with this movie. This movie is not out to make a good, fun, original Deadpool movie. It's all about the shock and awe. It wants to push the envelope as far over the edge of edginess as it will go, and see how many fans eat it up like so much grocery store birthday cake. If I'm right about this movie, it won't be funny, it won't be original, and it certainly won't be well-acted, but if I'm right, everyone will still believe it is. If you're excited for this movie and plan to see it (and if you see it and love it) I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I've thought on this subject a lot and have some pretty passionate opinions about it. I'm just really disappointed right now. [/rant]




Gods of Egypt
Feb 26th; PG-13
Huge monsters. Ancient heroes. Cheesy, low quality dialogue, and gobs and gobs of visual effects that aren't-really-that-impressive. It looks like the new class of Clash of the Titans is here! Which means it'll probably be a fun popcorn watch, but I would never pay to see it. But, since it also has Rufus Sewell in it, I'll watch it as soon as I can for free.



How's the month of February looking for you?

The Man in the High Castle

Some Spoilers beyond.

First of all, can we just talk about that opening? That beautiful, beautiful credit sequence that starts off each episode where a lady quietly sings "Edelweiss" and black and white images are projected over statues, and oh my goodness I can't even describe how amazing and beautiful it is and I just want to watch it over and over?

And that's just the first thirty seconds or so.

In this alternate reality, it's 1962, WWII is over and done, and the world has settled back into a "normal." But nothing is really normal, because the Axis powers -- the Nazis and their Japanese allies -- won the war. They've taken the United States and split it in two. The East Coast and the Midwest is part of the Nazi Greater Reich, and the West Coast is the Japanese Pacific States, with a small neutral zone separating them.

Juliana (Alexa Davalos) lives in San Francisco (essentially now San Fransokyo!) with her boyfriend Frank (Rupert Evans), trying to feel at home in this new world. When her sister runs into her, and gives her a film only to be shot to death by Japanese soldiers seconds later it starts Juliana's life on a course that could change the world. The film shows footage from the end of the war, but it's not right; it shows the Allies winning. Juliana takes the film and her sister's place, leaves for the Neutral Zone and begins a search for answers -- and the elusive "Man in the High Castle."

How can the films be? Where do they come from, and why are they so important? And who is the man in the high castle? After the first season of this refined sci-fi slow-burner.... none of these questions have been answered. But if it isn't beautiful and entertaining while it keep us in suspense!

Our heroine, Juliana Crain

Science fiction is my bread and butter, but this kind of science fiction -- cerebral, elegant, understated and mystifying, set in its own world, playing unforgettably by its own rules -- is more like a decadent cake; with multiple layers, topped with whipped cream, ice cream and a cherry for good measure. In short, (and like I would have said in the first place if I weren't hungry) this show is a treat. Truly. It's hard to describe the perfectly balanced tonal flavor exactly, but it is what is at the center of the show that makes it great. The best I could think of to describe it is, "elegantly heavy." It gives us a lot of brutal darkness -- as it must -- but presents it all with a refined formality.

After the tone is set, everything else just seems to fall naturally into place. The story is based on the Philip K. Dick novel, which I haven't read, so I can't judge on how accurate a portrayal it is, but it's at least his basic premise, and whether it is filled in with his story line or restructured and rethought by writer and show creator Frank Spotnitz, or even re-imagined totally, it seems to be the right choice to go with.

The Man in the High Castle is an Amazon Prime series. A second season is coming and I eagerly anticipate its arrival!

There are multiple plot lines to follow. The lead is Juliana, though she probably gets equal time and attention as several others, she is the lead and the show's heroine for three reasons. One: she is the only character with totally clear, completely uncompromising morals. Two: she causes, or is closely connected to every other plot line in the show. And three: she reflects the show's tone. This is the thing that I always notice and love to see in the main character, and in this case, it's impressive, as the shows tone is hard to quantify and seems like it would be hard to personify as well, but she does. She is elegant, and she is heavy; deep and graceful and somber and determined.

There's also Joe (Luke Kleintank) a fellow from New York who also has a film and meets and befriends her in the Neutral Zone -- but secretly works as a spy for the Nazis to bring down the rebellion, but also, maybe, doesn't. Actually, for the first few episodes I was confused, trying to figure out if he was truly a good guy or bad guy. There was compelling evidence for both sides. It took me a while, but finally I realized that he himself didn't actually know. He was stuck in a in between of a job that would give him power, security, and comfort, and becoming a traitor, ruining his life, but doing what is right. And for a long time, he tries to get away with doing both. Once I realized that, he became one of the most interesting characters.

I do mean that as a complement, but it isn't saying much what with all these incredibly interesting characters!

There's a plot for Juliana's boyfriend Frank as her disappearance sends repercussions to him that escalate dangerously while he stubbornly remains a reluctant hero. Frank just wants to go on with life; he doesn't see that there might possibly be a way out of it; and as the grandson of a Jew, keeping his head down is a top priority. But he gets a harsh wake up call, and we watch him slowly grow a backbone, and a will to fight back of his own -- some of it is channeled in the total wrong direction, but eventually he seems to head in the right way. DJ Qualls is a supporting character in his plot line as his pesky friend, Ed, and in fact, each story line really does feel like its own stand-alone tale. So if Juliana is the readymade hero of the show, then perhaps for Frank this first season was just an origin story.

 "I've got a gun; you've got a time machine. What the hell? Let's kill Hitler."

I never in a million years thought I'd sympathize with someone who was a Nazi, but then there was Obergruppenfürer John Smith (Rufus Sewell). John is Joe's boss in New York, a family man, and American who even fought for the Allies, but then willingly gave in to the new leadership. At first, he is the highest powered character around, and he coolly destroys everyone in his path as he searching out rebels. He is cunning and calculating and totally unfeeling -- or so it would seem. The moment one of his superiors from the Motherland shows up, he suddenly seems as much of a good guy as Joe does compared to him. It got to the point where I had to stop and wonder if I was crazy to want to cheer for this guy, and I realized that I wasn't. Rufus Sewell always makes a great villain, but his conflicted baddie here is top notch.

I love his villains but have always preferred his protagonists. Now, he's both!

Then there's political tension as the impending death of the Führer threatens to spark war between the Nazis and the Japanese. The drama that comes through all this and the characters that fill it are all so complex I want to re-watch the whole show just to understand it all better (and then again for the enjoyment). This plot give us Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), the Trade Minister of the Pacific States; a calm and structured gentleman who hides everything from everyone, including us. He conspires with a high ranking Nazi traitor Rudolph Wegener (Carsten Norgaard) to keep the Japanese in play once Hitler is gone. There's also Kido (Joel de la Fuente), a Japanese police inspector who has a blind and stone cold respect for tradition and rules, and his loyal Sergeant (Lee Shorten). They find themselves in over their heads in a sensitive investigation, and slowly fade from villainous antagonists to endearing characters as we get to know them.

You'd think (what with the Nazis and all) that this story would have a stark line between the good and the bad, but there's an unexpected amount of grey.

There is one technical aspect to cover; the show's rating. It's rated MA, and ticks most of the available content boxes. There's disturbing violence, which one could hardly get around, but unlike say, Daredevil, this show didn't stop once it got going into the R territory; it also drops a handful of language per episode and even sneaks in a little very brief nudity. Both of which I found completely unnecessary, but at the same time I gratefully realize it could have been much worse.

A few last things: Cliffhangers. Oh my goodness those cliffhangers. If it were possible to die of cliffhangers... RIP me. And even though it caused me to not understand it all as much as I usually would the first go-around, I love that this show makes you think for yourself and doesn't spoon-feed you everything. And I love that it's slightly controversial by making characters that you can identify with Nazis. Since when is does that even happen? In this incredibly real, uncomfortably close to home alternate universe it does. So, with its premise that's just so amazingly, ideally sci-fi that it makes me giddy just thinking about it, its large cast of talent playing and endless line of fantastically deep characters, and its immaculate, refined tone, the future for The Man in the High Castle is looking deliciously dark.

Upcoming Movie Roundup - November

In October, I saw The Martian (click to read my raving review), and it totally rocked my world, and blew me away, and I barely even thought about any of the other movies I was mildly interested in seeing, let alone actually considered going to see any of them. Instead I spent the entire month re-watching old Matt Damon movies and longing to see The Martian again, but wasn't able to. I finally did yesterday, so now I hopefully won't be distracted from the new movies of this month of November. Cause it's looking like a very fine month for movies.


Spectre
Nov. 6th; PG-13
I'm not a huge fan of James Bond, and Daniel Craig is one of my least favorite portrayals of him. Bond movies have always been the kind of movies that are pretty to look at but not particularly deep on character, or wise when it comes to morals. But at least they were fun to watch. Recently, they haven't even been that -- just more beautiful and more meaningless than ever. So I'm more excited for Spectre being the last Craig Bond film -- so we can see who will play him next -- than I am for the actual movie. I have no doubt I will watch it eventually, it's just a matter of when. And the more thrilling and fun it is the more I'll enjoy it, and if it's just a pretty spectacle, I'll just try to appreciate that. There's a top-notch guest cast of Christoph Waltz and Lea Seydoux, but I'm most excited to see Dave Bautista as a henchman.




The Peanuts Movie
Nov. 6th; G
Okay, I just love the Peanuts too much, and this trailer did not impress me. Not even close. And it's too be expected -- I feel protective of these characters. I don't want to see some weird version of them that I arbitrarily deem to be wrong! This trailer was not at all impressive, but it didn't totally convince me that the movie will be terrible either. However, I will not be watching this movie unless something or someone can convince me that it is an actually great and actually funny and actually respectful of the source material. I'm determined to play hard to get. So win me over if you can!





Brooklyn
Nov. 6th(limited); PG-13
Set in the 1950's, a young Irish girl immigrates to America.... That's enough information for me -- they had me at "Irish." It looks like a romantic drama, and it looks really sweet. And very Irish. And very 50's. Saoirse Ronan is the girl, and the cast also includes Domhnall Gleeson and a relative unknown, Emory Cohen, who rounds out the love triangle. Honestly, this looks like the exact kind of movie that I (and the rest of the ladies in the family) will watch no matter what kind of reviews it gets, even if they're terrible, but I don't think we'll have to worry about that. It's already getting stellar reviews and I can hardly doubt it'll be a wonderfully lovely movie.




Man Up
Nov. 13th(limited); NR
Lake Bell gets accidentally mistaken by Simon Pegg as his blind date, and decides to go along with it (who wouldn't?) to humorous, and possibly disastrous results (for her -- hopefully not for the movie!). It doesn't look groundbreaking or anything, (in fact it looks downright cheesy) but hey -- it's a British rom-com with Simon Pegg! Does it really need to be groundbreaking or anything more than cute and cheesy? Answer: No. No, it does not.




The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II
Nov 20th; PG-13

Ah, here we go -- the big one. Finally the end of The Hunger Games series! The dullness of Part I blew a lot of wind out of my sails, but I suppose it's time to try and get it all back for the big finale. It's looking huge and epic, and will certainly be exciting and intense. I'm looking forward to a few things... and not looking forward to a few things. Right now I can't see liking it more than the first or second films just because of the story, but maybe it'll make up for it with that giant budget and beautiful style -- or, maybe there'll be a few rewrites! You never know. But anyway, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss is back for the last time, and is just as determined as ever. Finish strong, and may the odds be ever in your favor!




The Good Dinosaur
Nov 25th: PG
What? Did humans evolve from dogs now? Anyway, the next Disney Pixar heart-string-tugger is almost here, and I haven't even seen the last one yet! This one's trailer isn't very interesting to me, but I'm going to try not to base my opinion on it too much, considering Disney's terrible reputation for creating trailers that don't represent their movies properly. Since it's a Pixar, the big question here isn't "will it be a good movie?" but more, "will it actually convince me to see it?" Right now it's not off to a great start. But there's potential.




The Man in the High Castle
Nov. 20th(streaming on Amazon Prime); TV:MA
The pilot has been available fro streaming for a while but I've been waiting for the rest of the series to come along and it's not long now! Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, this Amazon series is set in an alternate reality where the Nazis won WWII. This trailer kicks the interest up even more by revealing that people find footage showing us winning the war, which creates that epic sci-fi mystery that a signature of Dick's. Rupert Evans and Rufus Sewell are the familiar names of the large cast. It looks terrifying and dark and intense, and as long as the content isn't pushed too far, I will definitely be watching it come the twentieth.



What movies are on your list this month? What are you excited for? Let me know in the comments!

Dark City

This review is Spoiler-free.

In a world... that is dark... and a city... there are mysterious aliens who experiment on the human population every night at midnight. One night a man (Rufus Sewell) wakes up with no memory, appearing to have just committed a murder, and must go on the run from the detective (William Hurt) working the case, and the aliens, and the scientist (Kiefer Sutherland) who works for them. All while trying to regain fragmented memories of the life and wife (Jennifer Connelly) he doesn't remember.

Dark City is 1998 film, written and directed by Alex Proyas.

Dark City is sci-fi noir at its most conscious. Everything at first glance seems to be straight out of the 40's but with very obvious science-fiction tones. The only thing missing is a narration, which there is some of at the very beginning, but once it leaves off, it's gone for good. I am very partial to the sci-fi noir genre, so you'll forgive me if I'm a little biased, but honestly I love this movie for its premise alone.

Where it goes with its premise is not at all unworthy of love and appreciation though, by any means. It keeps things simple and the intriguing mystery slowly and elegantly comes together. You may or may not approve of the ending. I personally wished for a little bit more, but also see how more rewarding content at the end means even more complications, so I definitely see why they chose the simpler path to end on. Anything more complex or lengthy would have destroyed the film's pacing and balance. Plus, you have to leave some questions for the viewer to ponder on -- it's one of the charms of the genre.

Rufus Sewell, who is probably most commonly known for playing the bad guys in so many movies like The Illusionist, A Knight's Tale, or The Holiday is the hero here, and he really should play them more often, as good as he is at the villain. His John Murdoch is a compelling lead with a dark edge that works perfectly for the movie. Kiefer Sutherland is also the opposite of what you would know his as -- wimpy, with a deformed eye, a limp, and a limping way of speaking; he evokes images of stereotypical crazy Nazi scientists -- and not a little bit. William Hurt is the perfect brazen and stoic detective for a noir mystery, and Jennifer Connelly is endlessly elegant and demure.

The aliens, known as The Strangers, and their culture lend the sci-fi element, but are also refined in their appearance, looking human except for small details; they are always tall and extremely slender, with floor-length coats to accentuate that feature; they have no hair and pale skin. They are simultaneously classic and original villains; very refined, and subtly quite unsettling. They can use their minds to manipulate matter (telekinesis with a twist, called "tuning") and that it what gives the movie its defining trait.

Tone, as you may imagine, is always dark and understated, with high-contrast lighting and filming to match. There is also plenty of action to go around, but it's not the kind of action you'd watch the movie for; there are no huge stunts or fight scenes -- it only lends a hand to make the plot more compelling. It's a little dated in the special-effect territory, but holds up well by using mostly practical effects and not going overboard for no good reason. Violence is a classic 90's R, (gore-less blood and more disturbing in the impression of it than the actual look) and there's some fairly unnecessary (if rather brief) nudity, which is bothersome, because otherwise the film barely deserved the rating it received at all (in some ways it feels like a PG) -- language is interestingly non-existent.

Like all good under-the-radar sci-fi noir flicks, Dark City has things to say, but leaves you to decipher what exactly that is. It just tells you a creatively memorable story where it's one hero versus the rest of a mysterious and conspiracy-filled world, going to save the day with an old-fashioned determination. There is just the right amount of height in the stakes to get you involved, but leaves room for all the development and drama needed to surround it and round it out. It has all the science-fiction and action you could want, with all the complexities mystery and twists therein required. It has a richly dark and quietly thoughtful center, with reflective drama, and a lovely romance. A film like this will always have my stamp of approval. No tuning necessary.

The Illusionist

It's the classic story. Poor boy meets rich girl. Girl's parents forbid them from seeing each other. Boy promises to run away with girl. Boy leaves alone instead. Fifteen years later, boy returns, a skilled illusionist, and meets girl again, ready to make good on his promise, just as she's about to marry the Crown Prince of Austria.

Alright, so maybe that's not that classic, but every good story needs a good twist, right?

He remembers her, but does she?

Edward Norton plays Edward, or Eisenheim - what he is known as when he becomes an illusionist. Eisenheim's show becomes very popular when he returns to Vienna. So popular, in fact, that he attracts the attention of the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Leopold is one of those not-so-nice princes, for instance, he plans on overthrowing his father, the Emperor, and his plan hinges on his marriage to the Duchess Sophie Von Teschen (Jessica Biel). When Eisenheim discovers his childhood sweetheart's impending marriage, he not so inadvertently humiliates the Crown Prince, prompting him to retaliate. He uses the Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) -- who is more his personal assistant than anything else -- to that purpose. When he is instructed to shut down Eisenheim's show, Uhl is conflicted, as he is fascinated by Eisenheim and his tricks, but loyal to the Prince; suddenly he finds himself caught in the middle of their two-man war.

The Crown Prince doesn't know what he's getting into.

Eisenheim is certainly meant to be the main character here, but he's a pretty classic magician; mysterious, unreadable. We only get glimpses into his mind as often as other characters do - not often at all. Thank goodness then that Uhl is there to carry the movie. You think the main character is the one who carries the movie? It is an illusion. Paul Giamatti is us; trying to keep up, trying to piece together the mystery - enjoying it immensely. He is our connection to the strange world of The Illusionist. He is also convincingly British.

Inspector Uhl brings the story to life.

Not quite so much for fellow Americans Norton and Biel. Thankfully though, they both under-did the accents; much smarter than overdoing it, and it works out fine. Otherwise, they are very fine. I'm not a fan of Jessica Biel, but I don't mind her in this movie at all, and her costumes are so gorgeous. Norton is a great brooding magician. Subtle and... I want to say "deadpan" but that gives a bad impression... is there a way deadpan can be good? At any rate, it gives me the impression that the character is putting on an act, and that's a good thing. Rufus Sewell is definitely a good thing. He always makes a wonderful villain, but here he's especially good. Best of the bunch though, is certainly Giamatti, the only truly involving character, with his perfect subtleties, and the second best eye-roll ever.

Edward Norton looks the part, and performs some impressive illusions.

Much further than this, I cannot go, for fear of exposing too much of the plot that you should just watch for yourself. This pic is rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence, and besides one scene which I always easily skip through, it's a pretty clean, if dark and mellow movie. Visually, it's very unique, using sepia tints and vignetting to create a pleasing old-fashioned feel, and early 1900's costumes, buildings, and scenery are all very pretty to look at. And the story... mysterious, magical, and... well...

I will leave off with this: highly recommended.

-- 3.5/5 stars

Review number five for this!