Falling Behind on my Movies

I'm falling way behind on my movie reviews, so I'm going to play "catch-up" tonight. I finally saw "Edward Scissorhands" but it didn't really grab me. I think it was a bit too heavy-handed for me, and the comedy was too monotonous. (After all, how many different jokes can you tell about a guy who has scissors for hands?) I think, if Edward had been a more talkative character, he could have added some much-needed witty dialog. I much prefer Burton's "Big Fish," which is very similar to Scissorhands in many respects. But Big Fish adds several extra interesting characters (like the twins, Danny DeVito as the circus ringleader, and Steve Buscemi as the poet). Plus the main character (played by Ewan McGregor) has a wry sense of humor lacking in Edward Scissorhands. If you're in the mood for a quirky dramacomedy, check out Big Fish.

I also had a chance to see "The Illusionist" (with Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti -- not to be confused with "The Prestige" with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman). A bit slow, but I absolutely loved it! It's a fairly standard love story (peasant boy falls in love with noble girl; fast-forward 15 years; noble girl engaged to wed evil prince; peasant boy returns to thwart evil prince's wedding plans; etc.) But about midway through, the story turns into a sort of mystery/political-thriller. The title derives from the fact that the peasant boy has become a famous illusionist, and supposedly all of the magic tricks were actually being performed at the time the movie takes place (1900's Vienna). Unfortunately, some of the visual effects are a bit too obvious, leading us to believe that our illusionist actually possesses supernatural powers. I was caught up in the story immediately, and the ending neatly tied up all of the loose ends. Very highly recommended!