Synopsis: With ‘Following’, ‘Memento’, ‘Insomnia’ and the uncommonly smart blockbuster ‘Batman Begins’, Christopher Nolan has established himself as a filmmaker fascinated by the fluid, tricksy contingencies of memory, identity, narrative and time: the way we depend on the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, and the little slips and dodges, ignorant or willed, that allow us to keep those stories straight – at least for a while. Selfhood emerges from these films as a rickety trick, an illusion dependent on misdirection and oversight. Apt, then, that the director’s latest is a story about magicians.

Nolan’s first period picture, ‘The Prestige’ shares the fractured chronology common to his earlier work. Based in turn-of-the-last-century London, the plot centres on two ambitious young illusionists: flashy, easygoing Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman, abetted, as in ‘Batman Begins’, by Michael Caine) and the more original but less extrovert Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Fellow apprentices turned bitter rivals after a grisly onstage accident, their escalating feud is a game of cat and mouse played out in a hall of mirrors, set in cramped prison cells and Colorado expanses as well as theatres, as they compete to deliver the most spectacular version of a teleportation trick that calls for something like real magic.

Jackman and Bale make impressive tango partners, neither wholly sympathetic nor villainous, each drawing out the synergy between his character’s personality and his onstage style. It’s a handsome film, too, beautifully photographed by Wally Pfister in a chocolate-and-cinnamon sepia palette flashed with electric blue. But ‘The Prestige’ languishes in a structural Catch-22 of its own making. Explicitly modelled on the pattern of a magic trick, it’s also bound to the rules of the mystery thriller genre; yet the one relies on lingering uncertainty, the other on full disclosure. And in devoting so much room to hollow romantic subplots, the film ends up breaking two of the magician’s cardinal rules: not only does it tell you how it’s all done, it takes so long about it that you’ve got time to look up its sleeves and work it out for yourself. Source: TImeOut London

Synopsis: Andrea Sachs is a naive smalltown girl who, fresh out of college, lands a job at glamorous Runway Magazine as assistant to editor Miranda Priestly. What seems like a dream job quickly becomes a nightmare however, as Priestly is the boss from hell and the fashion industry turns out to be more cutthroat than Andrea could have possibly imagined.

Here I am in the cinema – in the posh gallery seats, seperated from the oily rags by a velvet rope…

Get some free natchos, cream filled cakes, couple of muffins and a cup of coffee… Its all very nice.

Huge double seats with a fold up arm – like being at home really.. Sweet..

Synopsis: High school senior Bartleby "B" Gaines (Justin Long) is on his way to scoring eight out of eight rejection letters from colleges–which isn’t going to go over big with Mom and Dad. At least he’s not alone in the exclusion. Several of his crew of outcast friends are in the same, college-less boat. So…how does a guy facing a bleak career please his parents and get noticed by dream girl Monica (Blake Lively)?

Simple. Open his own university.

B and his band of misfit freshmen take "liberal" arts literally when they fool their parents and peers and create the esteemed South Harmon Institute of Technology. They clean up an abandoned psychiatric facility, employ a buddy’s brilliant but subversive–uncle (Lewis Black) as the dean and create a fake web site as their campus calling card. Bam! South Harmon, the alternative school of higher learning, is born.

Just as they are settling in, B and company realize they’ve done their jobs too well. Dozens of other college rejects show up for classes at this less-than-lofty institute. Under the scornful eyes of the privileged students from the neighboring college, B and his friends forge ahead with maintaining a fake, functioning university. Their efforts to explore alternative education result in a battle between the South Harmon co-eds and the "sister" school snobs.

With his future in the balance, it’s going to take more than just sleight of hand to keep B out of jail as he strives to get the girl, impress his parents and just become…’Accepted.’

Just settling down to see “Accepted” here in the Croydon Vue cinema, one of my favourite establishments..

Will let you know what I think later

Synopsis: Busy architect and dedicated family man Michael Newman finds himself torn between his professional career and his personal life. When he loses his TV remote control, Michael decides he has too many of the contraptions and needs a universal remote. While shopping, he meets mad scientist Morty who provides him with a one-off remote control that can do just what he needs: by the click of a button, he can pause, fast-forward, rewind any mute and part of his life.

Synopsis: Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s classic novel is a challenging, mind-bending experience that cautions about the dangers of excessive drug use as well as the government’s capacity to abuse and manipulate power. Using the same interpolated rotoscoping technique that Linklater employed in 2001′s WAKING LIFE, the film is an animated, trippy descent into one man’s unraveling mind. Set in the not-too-distant future where a new drug, substance D, has created an epidemic, A SCANNER DARKLY charts the mental unraveling of Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves). Arctor is an undercover cop who has been assigned to track a group of individuals who include the hyper-intense Luckman (Woody Harrelson), the ultra-paranoid Freck (Rory Cochrane), and the beautiful Donna (Winona Ryder). As the film unfolds and Arctor finds himself abusing substance D in order to maintain his façade, his mind begins to spin out of control, to the point where he doesn’t know what’s real and what isn’t. Eventually, the truth comes out, leaving Arctor even more numbed. Linklater’s surprisingly faithful adaptation of Dick’s novel blends humor, drama, and Bob Sabiston’s striking animation to deliver a thought-provoking film that will leave viewers as dazed as the film’s protagonist.

Conclusion: Well, the the concept was strange. The whole movie was re-rendered into what I can only describe as a 100 minute Flash movie. The state of Arctor mind was reflected in the contiually changing perspectives, quite disorientating.

The story itself was quite strange and perplexing – but the visual effects complemented Arctor state of mind perfectly. Each of the 3 main characters were fascinating from Frek’s encounters with the bug, Luckman’s in-your-face hyper personality. Not for everyone so if you’re not sure wait for the DVD.

Link: The Official How It Should Have Ended Website.

The new cartoon is up. Now i can die. Before i collapse or lose complete feeling in my arm, let me just say to all the batman fans out there, "i don’t hate batman" Superman and Batman are my favorites, that’s why they are both in the short. So, know that the batman jokes are done with love.

Synopsis: Unlucky in love Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) thinks he’s finally found the perfect woman in the shape of the beautiful Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman). The only trouble is, Jenny also happens to be a superhero called G-Girl. When the couple’s relationship eventually hits the rocks and Matt decides to call it a day, he soon discovers that there are few things worse than a superhero scorned.

Conclusion: Yes, its a funny movie – some sexually explicit visual jokes (kids beware) and perfectly timed for the Superman release. Effects good, humor good, yada, yada, yada – has it’s highs and lows, towards the end I was looking at my watch, never a good sign.. Wait for it to come out on DVD.

Synopsis: Following the death of his uncle in mysterious circumstances, teenager Alex Rider discovers that all is not what it seems in his family. Rather than being a bank manager, his uncle was in fact a spy, and it turns out he has been grooming Alex for a career in espionage. Recruited by Mr Blunt and Mrs Jones from the Special Operations Division of MI6, Alex is supplied with an array of high tech gadgets and sent on his first dangerous mission – to stop the dangerous billionaire Darrius Sayle.

Conclusion: Well, what a cool movie. The introduction should be stripped out and used by the UK tourist board, I wanted to go and visit London almost immediatley!

Ewan McGregor stars as the ace spy Ian Rider, having all the skill and gadgets of a true MI6 employee (at least in films). The start looks promising with this primo star leading the pack, and then he gets killed 5 mins into the film! – wonder how much he made for that!

The Story continues with his 14 yr old nephew (who seems a little big for 14yrs dwarfing his room mates), young Rider is introduced to Alan Blunt played by Bill Nighy – an interesting if not monotone character, which reminded me of the father figure in Joe 90, ever the glasses are the same!

Anyhow there are lots of similarities between this movie and the Bond series, Stephen Fry plays the "Q" Mr. Smithers – where do kids get all their gadgets from? Hamley’s of course!

The movie parallels again with Darrius Sayle’s henchman, a large oriental guy with a hat – well I won’t spoil it for you. All the similarities and parallels are very much "tongue in cheek", but there are some unique twists and turns that makes this movie great. I look forward to more in the series of this  "Harry Potter-isk" (which is mentioned) spy movie – good for kids (big and small) – Go see it!