The Prestige

Christopher Nolan is a director who initially made a huge splash with a little budget and not much celebrity star power. He's the director of The Dark Knight and the man responsible for resuscitating the Batman franchise. Not so long ago, he was an independent filmmaker, but after this weekend he'll probably be seen as one of the most influential creative forces in Hollywood. So who is the visionary behind the mask camera? Well, you could read this interesting New York Times profile, or you could let his work speak for itself by embarking on a Christopher Nolan Movie Night!

Memento
Try to remember back to 2000 — there was a lot of hype around a little movie about a guy suffering from short-term memory loss looking for the man who murdered his wife. Memento was a big deal and shot Nolan to the head of the class in the eyes of film critics and Hollywood bigwigs alike. Guy Pearce is mesmerizing as a man forced to tattoo himself to remember things, and the way the movie plays with time is chilling and mind-blowing.

Two more Nolan flicks to go so read more

Just in time for the Oscars this Sunday, several nominated films have come out on DVD! You can Netflix them now and have a totally Oscar-themed weekend. That way, you can make savvy, well-informed decisions when filling out your own Oscar ballot. And the new DVDs are...

Babel
Earning, among others, a Best Picture nomination, Babel has gotten a lot of buzz for its universal themes and good-looking cast. Set in three continents and featuring five languages, the film follows four different stories revolving around the aftermath of a shooting in the Moroccan desert. The strong performances, compelling story, and sharp cinematography make it an obvious Best Picture nominee. For a more in-depth look at Babel, check out my review.

Two more 2007 Oscar nominees, so read more

Every week up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories. In this final week, I'll be looking at the nominees for best art direction, which encompasses the entire look and feel of a film from the scenery to the lighting. Today's featured movie is The Prestige.

The Prestige was also nominated for a cinematography award, and both of these nominations seem justified. If the artistic vision for the film was to present a darkly beautiful and eerie setting in which to tell this story of magic and murder, then mission accomplished. To see for yourselves, you can check out the gallery of stills if you read more

Every week up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories, starting this week with cinematography. Yesterday, I had a gallery of stills from The Black Dahlia, and today's nominee is The Prestige.

Like The Black Dahlia, The Prestige benefits from Scarlett Johansson, whose classic beauty fits nicely in period films. The Prestige tells the story of two magicians in turn-of-the-century London whose intense rivalry ultimately leads to murder. The other cast members — including Michael Caine, David Bowie, Hugh Jackman, and Christian Bale — also look right at home in the smoky mystery. Between the actors' distinguished looks and director Christopher Nolan's cinematic skills, the end result is an atmosphere of dark intrigue. Even if you haven't seen the film, these stills are eerie and haunting, so read more