Claudia Puig of "USA Today" described the film as "one of the most innovative, twisting, turning art films of the past decade." Drew McWeeny gave the film a glowing review, saying it demands repeat viewing, with Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" agreeing. Richard Roeper and guest critic A.O. Scott gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating. Todd Gilchrist of IGN applauded the performances of Jackman and Bale whilst praising Nolan for making "this complex story as easily understandable and effective as he made the outwardly straightforward comic book adaptation ("Batman Begins") dense and sophisticated... any truly great performance is almost as much showmanship as it is actual talent, and Nolan possesses both in spades." "CNN.com" and "Village Voice" film critic Tom Charity listed it among his best films of 2006. Philip French of "The Observer" recommended the film, comparing the rivalry between the two main characters to that of Mozart and Salieri in the highly acclaimed "Amadeus".