>Well... I will say there's lots to enjoy about this movie.

Indeed

>But you really have to pay close attention.

Yeah I sorta blew it on that one. Wasnt really my fault tho as my girl kept asking questions & I would try 2 explain 2 her what I thought was goin on insteada payin attention 2 what was really goin on.

I might even take
>in a second viewing to catch stuff I might have missed.

It reminded me a lot of Memento in that manner. The narration from Wolverine's character even sounded almost identical 2 Lenny @ times in the delivery & voice. I've noticed Malick had a similar thing goin on in The Thin Red Line & The New World.

>Story-wise, I can't say much about it because during the Q & A
>(NAME DROPPING ALERT), a certain bat-actor made us pledge not
>to give away any of the movie's "secrets." But the basic
>story is this: two rival magicians, though a series of events,
>engage in a particularly nasty game of one-upsmanship...

Very nasty, very dark. Jigga liked.

>It's weird, but as the movie unfolded, I couldn't help but
>think about Tupac and Biggie. I know, the movie's based on a
>book, but the escalating beef between the two magicians seemed
>as silly as the East-West feud of the mid-90's.

It really did seem silly but you had 2 admire their passion for their craft. After seeing the secrets of some of the tricks in this movie, I couldn't help but wonder how "innocent" many of the common magic tricks we see most magicians do, really are. I didnt stay till the end of the credits but hopefully there was 1 of those, "No animals were harmed in the making of this movie" blurbs @ the end of it;)

>Anyway, on to the performances. Both Christian Bale and Hugh
>Jackman were great.

This was the 1st non Wolvy performance by Hugh that I've liked. He did a really good job. Overall I think his performance was a bit uneven @ times but that's a minor gripe & probably due to the fact that Bale was perfect throughout the whole thing.

Michael Caine was fantastic, as usual.

Totally. Perfect casting choice there.

>David Bowie was also solid.

My girl did NOT want to belive that was really him. I didnt even notice that was him the 1st time I saw the trailer. Another good casting choice played to perfection. He could've tried to make it more showy but I'm glad he didnt. Keeps ya guessing.

Scarlett? Well, she was nice to
>look at.

Oh indeed. I actually thought she wasnt to bad compared to her usual performances. She wasnt given a ton to work w/ here but she didnt do any harm. Rebecca Hall impressed me & it was nice 2 see Gollum in the flesh as well even tho it was a bit part.

>Script-wise? Well, I can see there being an uproar about...
>all of the stuff... yeah, you REALLY have to pay attention.

Even if you do, I dont know, if you can ever really know, ya know?

>In fact, I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that the
>first line of the movie practically is a... setup.

It makes perfect sense @ the end of the movie. A very nice touch. I dont read many books but I might need to read this one to see how it stacks up.

There's a
>lot of flashing back and forward and back and flashing
>back-within-a-flashback... yeah.

Nolan loves the flashbacks & quick cuts & what not. He uses them pretty effectively for the most part but they can also be a real pain in the ass in keeping the viewer in a state of WTF. But I'm guessing that's the intention.

And there are a few things
>one can "predict" as it goes on.

Certainly. You can pretty much piece it together before the very end but this movie isnt all about figuring out the twist a la...ah nevermind.

>I can see this one having the same effect on audiences as
>Marie Antoinette, but for entirely different reasons. Stuff
>happens in this movie that you'll either buy and go with, or
>you won't.

Yeah once I had it figured out I thought, "Ehhh that's kind of a tough sell & maybe a bit of a cop out or cheap gimmick" But it is a movie afterall & of course since its Nolan I could give him a pass on the suspension of disbelief in this instance. But I guess I can see now why some people dont feel Memento as much as I do for the same reason. The peeps that dont like Memento & dont like this will probably even call Nolan a hack, but the dude flat out just makes movies that I end up lovin.

But if you're having a hard time going with it,
>just think of it as a two-hour magic trick.

^^^Great advice. Great flick. Nolans officially 5/5 in my book & I cant wait 2 see it again to understand certain actions & motives better.