Primal Fear (1996)

What a debut by Edward Norton!! It’s a pity he hasn’t won an Oscar yet but then I care a damn about those awards! ‘Primal Fear’ is a crime thriller which involves a lot of drama as well, most of it revolving around Norton.

The movie starts with the murder of an Archbishop. Aaron Stampler (Norton), one of the altar boys is accused of the murder. There is very strong evidence against him but he claims to have ‘lost time’ while a third person murdered the priest. Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a very famous defense attorney comes to the defense of Stampler. Stampler’s claim that there was a third person in the room is disputed as there is no proof of anyone else being there apart from him and the priest. However, later on it is found out that there was actually a third person present who committed the murder. The question about the identity of this person constitutes the central plot of the movie. When the identity is revealed you are in for a big shock!

There are some insignificant sub plots which I am not going to go into. The film may be a bit slow at times but it is worth watching just for Norton’s acting and the plot twists that take place. I love twist endings and this one surely has a real good one in the end. It is towards the end that you realise how good Norton has been in the movie.

I can go on writing about the movie giving away all the important plots and events but then I will end up spoiling it for you. Go and check it out for yourself!

50 First Dates (2004)

‘Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams…every friggin day’ says the tagline of this movie. ’50 First Dates’ is a romantic comedy featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in the lead where Sandler has to win over Drew everyday. He plays the role of ‘Henry Roth’ who is a vet and enjoys the company of several women but never commits himself to any one in particular. This sequence is broken after he meets ‘Lucy’. He is immediately smitten by her and hopes to win her love. However, the very next day itself, Lucy seems unable to have any remembrance of meeting him altogether. Henry finds out that Lucy is suffering from short-term memory loss and forgets everything the next day. This begins a series of attempts by Henry to win over Lucy everyday.

Henry Roth is every woman’s dream for who would take so much trouble to win over someone’s love knowing well enough that he/she has to perform the same ritual once again, the next day and every following day! Adam Sandler may not be renowned for his romantic acting abilities but he comes up with a very convincing performance. In fact, he possesses a good mix of humour and romance to play the character of Henry Roth. Opposite him is Drew Barrymore who may not be regarded as a great actress by most people but has done a fair job of playing Lucy. Supporting them are Rob Schneider and Sean Astin who account for a lot of humourous moments in the movie.

Though this movie is supposed to be a romantic comedy there are moments where you actually feel very sad. The scene where Henry comes to know about Lucy’s condition and then his confrontation with her dad and brother makes you feel sorry for the poor guy. One wouldn’t like to be in his shoes. Similar is the case when Lucy finds out about her illness from her dad. Those scenes are really touching.

I have seen a lot of romantic movies right from the black & white to the modern era. However, if someone were to ask me to pick one romantic flick it is going to be this one. The movie makes you wonder whether you would have been able to do what Henry Roth does. For me this is the ultimate challenge where your love is put to test everyday!

The Prestige (2006)

‘The Prestige’ is an amazing tale of two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). It is said in the movie that a magic trick consists of three parts, The Pledge where the magician shows to the audience something ordinary, The Turn where he turns the ordinary into extraordinary, and The Prestige where the final illusion is produced. The movie is on the same lines except with non-linear timelines.

Robert Angier, Julia (his wife) and Borden work as assistants for another magician. Julia dies during one of the acts on stage and Angier blames Borden for it. Both go their own ways and become good magicians trying to outsmart the other. This continues for sometime until Borden comes up with the ultimate trick called ‘The Transported Man’. Angier becomes desperate to find out how Borden performs the trick. After much effort he manages to develop his own ‘Transported Man’ trick with a machine developed by Tesla. During one of his performances we see Borden going down the stage and Angier drowning in a water tank. He is accused of the other’s murder. This is where ‘The Prestige’ starts!

This movie is about obsession, jealousy, determination and sacrifice. Two men are obsessed with becoming the best magician, in turn becoming jealous of the other. They try to sabotage each other’s shows. Angier is so obsessed with finding out the secret of Borden’s trick that he goes to great lengths unbecoming of a reasonable man. On the other hand, Borden is determined to keep the secret hidden which lead him to making tremendous sacrifices. In the end the question that arises is how far you are willing to go!!

Christopher Nolan delivers a must watch movie with a very good cast. Yet again Christian Bale proves himself to be a very talented actor. Hugh Jackman has also more than established himself in the industry as a fine actor. These two are very well supported by Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson.

This movie has a couple of very strong twists in the end and an intelligent viewer should make out which is the more important one and not get confused thinking about the other. It is this understanding which might decide how much you appreciate the movie. Also, this is not one of those movies which bore you to death until the final twist is revealed. Without going on and on about how good the movie is I would recommend you to go and see this movie as soon as possible.