Premonition (2007)

Directed by: Mennan Yapo
Format: DVD
DVD Features: Commentary, deleted scenes, gag reel, making of featurette, precognition featurettes, previews
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon, Amber Valletta, Peter Stormare

**This movie has recieved a Gummi Awards nomination for Most Abrupt and/or Confusing Ending.***

Premonitions; visions of the future. Believe it or not, I've had them. No, I don't claim to be psychic. I can't tell you who you're going to marry or what's going to happen tomorrow, but I have had dreams that came true. My grandmother has too. She dreamed about Kennedy. I dreamed about 9-11. Sounds kind of loopy, I know. The trouble is, I can never tell if it's just a dream or if it will happen. It's unreliable. But, if you watch the precognition featurette on this DVD, you'll find out that some people's visions are much more dependable. It presents a paradox. Is the future certain? Can you alter it if you know about it? Would you choose to have this ability if you could? Would you like to know the future, even if you couldn't change it? There has been a lot of research on the subject, a lot of speculation, and a lot of movies. Premonition is one of them.

Linda Hanson wakes up one morning and goes about her homemaker routine as usual. She takes the kids to school, she does the laundry and she goes for a jog. Then, there's a knock at her door. The officer on her portch tells her that her husband has been in a fatal car accident. Predictably, she's in shock and grief sets in. That night, she falls asleep on her sofa and the next morning, everything has changed. Not because her husband is gone, not because her children are fatherless, but because her husband...is in the shower! The next morning, she walks downstairs to find a funeral and the next, her husband is cooking pancakes for the kids. Is she going mad, she wonders? She seeks help. She tries a doctor, she tries a priest, and when she realizes that she's not insane, she tries to stop it. But, after she finds out why her husband has been so distant, does she still want to?

Although there isn't much to the movie visually (i.e. special effects, period costume), there is a lot of symbolism in Premonition. Images of crows are consistent throughout the film and Linda's daughters are working on a jigsaw puzzle in the story. The crows, naturally, giving a feeling of forebodeing and the puzzle metaphorically representing the clues and events that Linda is piecing together in the plot. The two symbols also serve to show the relative time involved. Little things like that really help the viewers in movies like these, but aren't terrbily subtle in this film.

The premonition that Linda has in the movie feels less like visions of the future and more like time travel. She moves through the movie with memories intact, while people she saw yesterday, don't know her name the next. Which, of course, presents certain paradox, just like the time travel theory. If you can see the future, can you change it? And if you can, then does it really mean you predicted the future? Premonition gets through the maze of "what if?"s fairly easily, but we're left with some questions. Whether or not she can save her husband is a big one, but not something I'm going to give away here. Some of mine were, "Who's really that close to their life insurance agent?", "What churches have cushioned pews?" and, "Why the Hell doesn't she call 9-11?"

I've never been a Sandra Bullock fan, nor counted her as one of the world's great actresses. However, I think she does a decent job in Premonition. Bullock convincingly portrays a woman dealing with great loss, motherhood and a failing grip on sanity. It's easy to take her seriously in the role of Linda Hanson; put yourself in her shoes. Her husband, Jim (played by Julian McMahon) is mostly a prick. The couple are having the usual marital issues. McMahon is passable in the role, but not extraordinary. Playing Linda's doctor, is Peter Stormare. You might remember him as the homicidal kidnapper in Fargo. With that association, I can never see him in a film and not consider him a "bad guy". And really, he isn't such a "good guy" in Premonition either. McMahon is good at what he does, but he doesn't seem to have much range.

When I went to the video store to check out this movie, I was thinking that, for some odd reason, this was the one about the lake house with Keanu Reeves. When I plugged it into the DVD player, I realized that I'd already seen this movie! So, it's an amusing side note that I was renting a movie that I'd seen in the past. For a Hollywood film, with a fairly tame plotline, Premonition wasn't half bad. It even raised some ponderous questions. At one point in the film, Linda is talking to her priest (Jude Ciccolella) in an attempt to get some direction. He mentions the theory that "nature abhorrs a vaccuum, even spiritually", basically amounting to her visions being gifted to her because of a lack of faith. I found that an interesting subject and not totally off the wall, even considering (or maybe more due to) my athiesm.

In the end, I don't think Premonition was a complete waste of time. It won't make it into my personal collection, but my initial chagrin at having rented it twice didn't sustain itself. If you want to see Bullock in a reputable role and you want a drama that's not overwhelmingly deep, Premonition might be the rental for you. It was thought-provoking on some levels, but lacked the sort of spice, style and excitement that makes truly entertaining cinema. And thusly, I endow the following rating.

Overall Rating: 2 1/2 stars
Hottie Rating: 0 stars

Alternate Recommendation: Memento
Official Site
IMDB Page
Reel.com review

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The Prestige (2006)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Format: DVD
DVD Features: making of, Tesla documentary, featurettes, art galleries, trailers
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christopher Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Miachael Caine
Trailer

Since the end of February, my father and I have been on an Oscar movie kick. Not surprising, as The Academy Awards is, after all, one huge advertising campaign. The Prestige is our fourth movie in the last two weeks that earned a nomination for 2006. It was nominated for best Art Direction (Nathan Crowley) and Set Decoration (Julie Ochipinti). The award, however, was lost to Pan’s Labyrinth.

In The Prestige, Hugh Jackman and Christopher Bale play two talented magicians who begin their careers as colleagues. A bitter rivalry is sparked between the two after one trick goes disastrously awry. After they go their separate ways, their careers begin to take off, each man competing to pull off the more impressive trick, while jealously guarding his secrets. Friends, wives, lovers and money all char in the fire of this obsession.

With a name like “The Prestige” the movie sounds more likely to be about a Harvard scholar or a Military commander; not about a magic act. According to the film, the prestige is the final piece of any trick – the part where objects reappear. Of course, the plot revolves around each magician performing disappearing and reappearing acts of one form or another. The problem is, after a while, it becomes tiresome watching the same trick repetitively. When the plot twists initially, it’s to be expected and a little amusing. When the plot twists the third or fourth time, it becomes tiresome and a bit insulting.

The cast is full of familiar faces. Michael Caine plays Cutter, the early mentor of both magicians and the long term supporter of Angier (Jackman). Scarlett Johansson is Olivia, the stage girl who gets tossed back and forth between the two men. Don’t miss David Bowie as the renowned scientist Nikola Tesla. Tesla’s assistant, Alley, might even be familiar, but I won’t give that one away. Each of the cast members gives a solid, although not astounding, performance. (and yes, we get to see Hugh Jackman with his shirt off)

The set designs and atmosphere of the movie were very nicely constructed. The best shots by the cinematographer in the film were in the field of lights scene. The atmosphere was completely believable and the costuming seemed authentic. It’s only because the fantasy realm of Pan’s Labyrinth lent itself more easily to impressive costuming that it won the Academy over The Prestige.

I would have been much more impressed with this film, had I not seen The Illusionist first. For two movies so close in theme and period, it’s amazing how much one sparkles more than the other. I didn’t feel the same emotional connection to the characters in The Prestige. I didn’t become breathless waiting for the next act. Suspiciously similar is the point in either movie wherein the magician elects to shut out his normal stage crew in favor of a gang of blind men (as in The Prestige) or a cluster of foreigners (as in The Illusionist). It makes me curious as to what the profession was actually like during the time period these two movies imitate. Did the filmmakers spy on each other, like the magicians in The Prestige, to learn each other’s secrets?

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 2 (Jackman)

Alternate Viewing: The Illusionist
Official site
IMDB site
Stylus review

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Director: Gore Verbinski
Venue: Theater
Starring: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom
trailer

If you haven’t seen the prequel to this movie, go and rent it now. There are loads of jokes and plot devices that require having seen the first movie to appreciate. Eventually, I will review that one as well, but take my word for it now – it’s great! I only wish there were more pirate movies of this caliber to enjoy. Oh please, oh please, let part 3 come out soon! In the past, I have dreaded follow-ups to my favorite movies. Lately though, movies like Spiderman and Lord of the Rings have proven that the rest of the series can be just as good as their predecessors.

Dead Man’s Chest picks up very near to where we last left Capt. Jack Sparrow (Depp), Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Knightley). On the day of her wedding to Will, Swann is abducted from the altar and thrown in jail. The head of a powerful trading company has an interest in Jack Sparrow’s mysterious compass and knows that Will is the most likely person to be able to find it. So, Elizabeth will be pardoned if Turner can accomplish this task. Capt. Sparrow, meanwhile, is aboard the Black Pearl and has a quest of his own to fulfill. He needs the key to the Dead Man’s Chest, but his compass doesn’t seem to be leading him in the right direction anymore. The Dead Man in question is Davey Jones, an undead sailor with command over the Kraken, a feared and legendary tentacled beast. Swann has no intention of remaining in prison, however, and finds her way out to join the adventure. The plot is original, entertaining, and moves at a good pace.

Plot: 5 stars

All of the original characters from the first Pirates movie are back (with the original stars) along with a few interesting new ones. My favorites of the latter have got to be Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), the voodoo priestess that helps our friends on their journey and the villain, Davey Jones. She could have worked on her accent a little more though. Depp, Bloom and Knightly are all wonderful in their parts. I have to say that I feel a twinge of jealousy over Kiera and her close proximity to the two leading men (not to mention her role in The Jacket), but I can’t honestly say that she’s a poor actress. Johnny Depp has always been one of my favorite actors, not just because he’s smokin’ hot, but also because he isn’t afraid to step out of Hollywood and take a few obscure roles here and there. In my humble opinion, he’s one of the most under-appreciated men in the business.

Acting: 5 stars

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest can boast to having loads of action. There isn’t a dull moment between the running, the fighting and the thrills. I would say that it is as well paced as the first film. Still, Yuen Woo Ping isn’t the action director, so I can’t possibly give a full star rating to anything less.

Action: 4 stars

This second film is as loaded, if not more so, with CGI as the first. All of the “bad guys” are varying abominations from the depths of the sea. One man has barnacles growing out of his face, while another has the head of a hermit crab. My favorite special effect is Davey Jones (Bill Nighy). His head is basically an octopus, but the undulating tentacles that make up his beard are mesmerizing. The Kraken is a well-created beast as well. Dead Man’s Chest manages to fill the screen with graphics that are obviously computer generated, and at the same time, fascinating and non-cheesy.

Visual: 4 ½ stars

The dialogue in this film is snappy and fun. Although not deep in levels of context, it’s entertaining. No favorite lines spring to mind, but it’s always fun to imitate pirate lingo.

Dialogue: 3 ½ stars

As soon as it’s feasible, I will be purchasing both the first and second films on DVD as well as a ticket to the next feature. I don’t claim to have heard any rumors regarding this movie’s follow-up, but the end is an obvious clue that we haven’t seen the end of the story.

Alternate viewing choice: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
IMDB site
Official site (you’ll need to download the latest version of Flash)
Rotten Tomatoes review

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The P List

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Premonition

The Prestige