+15
38. The Prestige : This ought to be one of my favourite films - it puzzles me why it isn't. The inclusion of David Bowie in the cast should have been the final domino which knocked it into classic territory for me. Perhaps I just need to sit and take it all in again. I mean, I can see it's greatness, but I just never have an urge to watch it over again or have really fond feelings about it. Great story, direction - and Nolan's films always sound like they have a deep and ominous gravity. I might need to sit down one day and give The Prestige another really proper go. As I've said before, I'm a big fan of Bowie, so his role as Nikola Tesla always brings a great deal of joy - and the plot machinations in the film's final act did grab me a great deal. So whether it's a general dislike for magicians, or if it's because Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale aren't at the very top of my favourite actor list, this film just doesn't have a hold on me at the moment. I love most of Christopher Nolan's films (Tenet being a big exception) and this is one of his good ones - so it makes no sense to me.
37. Casino Royale : I'd seen every James Bond film from The Living Daylights onwards at the cinema when I went to see Die Another Day, and when the credits rolled on that one I decided that was it for James Bond and me. Even though the whole franchise was getting a rejig, I'd completely severed ties, and so didn't go see Casino Royale at the movies. It was a mistake. Casino Royale not only reinvigorated the James Bond series, it turned out to be one of the best Bond films ever made. So I did end up going to see Quantum of Solace on the big screen, and when that ended I thought to myself that I just couldn't win. But anyway, Royale was the much needed transformation which broke all the rules and introduced us to Daniel Craig's Bond, who has endured despite some middling efforts. The free running action segment at the start of the film proper is perhaps the most exciting I've seen in a Bond film. Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" worked perfectly for me, and the pre-credits sequence plus the credits themselves still give me goosebumps. This and Skyfall are endlessly rewatchable, as James Bond films should be. I considered this for my list at length, but in the end it didn't quite make it. Still glad to see it here.
Seen 52/64
__________________
Remember - everything has an ending except hope, and sausages - they have two.
We miss you Takoma