The Prestige Reviews

• Obsession, Revenge and Magic--A Near Perfect Film Fumbles In The Last Act

  
  By A27H9DOUGY9FOS on 2006-12-31
  Like many other reviewers, I came into Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" with high expectations. He, thus far, has a pretty good track record in my book. "Batman Begins" ranks highly among adult comic book movies, but prior to that--he scored big with the sublime "Memento" and the underappreciated "Insomnia" (where, miraculously, he coaxed restrained performances from both Al Pacino and Robin Williams). So teaming Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in a dark and twisty tale of obsession and revenge seemed like movie nirvana. And "The Prestige," while not a perfect film, certainly provides its leads with robust roles and delivers much to admire.
  
  Set in the world of magic, two practitioners (Bale and Jackman) start out together in an act devised by Michael Caine. When a tragedy strikes, Jackman loses his wife and holds Bale accountable. Though they go their separate ways, they never mentally disconnect. Jackman plots revenge, Bale retaliates and their lives become a complex game of one-upmanship--as each strives to be the better illusionist, to boast the better trick. The film is a sleek and nasty mechanism as rage and jealousy propel the action. While this has left some people feeling cold--there is no one to particularly root for--I found it refreshingly mean spirited and believable. Jackman and Bale both give great, passionate performances. Whether or not you like the movie, I think it would be hard not to see that these are two undervalued performers getting a chance to do some "big" acting. Caine is terrific, as always, and Scarlett Johansson is perfect as a woman caught between the feuding warriors.
  
  As you might expect from a Nolan film, there are some surprises--some tricks to be revealed in the film's prestige. Now I have an eye for movie "surprises," I guess I'm too suspicious or analytical. I figured out one of the primary surprises early on--but that didn't lessen my interest in the film, I was just as curious to see how it played out. The film is built in a multilayered flashback structure that is interesting and rewarding. It adds to the dramatic revelations of the final act. But there is a science fiction element that is dropped in at the last moment. And while I know that the film is actually based on a sci-fi work, this was the least compelling aspect of the film. In fact, it might have ruined a lesser movie altogether. After so much real emotion, such a fantastic setup, so much believability--this plot twist quickly brings what was a great film back to earth as a good one.
  
  "The Prestige" is a satisfying and adult treat. It boasts some of the best performances of the year, and is beautiful and fascinating to look at. It's quality filmmaking, one that is recommended despite the shortcomings of the final payoff. KGHarris, 12/06.
  
  

• Christopher Nolan continues to impress with one of the best films of 2006.

  
  By A19VMQDCB4HZ9P on 2006-10-23
  2006 has been a quiet year for event films. The predicted blockbusters this past summer pretty much underperformed despite some being exactly as good as I thought they'd be. Other than Johnny Depp and the gang's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, every blockbuster didn't blow the industry out of the water. It's a very good thing that I had smaller films to tide me over. This year has been a very good ones for some independent-minded and smaller films which came out during the slow first couple months of the year and during the graveyard release months between the end of summer and the start of the late year holidays. I've already had the chance to see such very good films like Running Scared from Wayne Kramer and Hard Candy from David Slade to The Proposition from John Hillcoat. I am glad to say that Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel, The Prestige is another non-blockbuster that excites, entertains and, in the end, keeps the audience mystified but not confused.
  
  I've read Christopher Priest's novel about dueling late 19th-century London magicians. It's a novel written in epistolary format with each chapter and section written as entries into the journal of one of the main characters in the story. The novel itself is pretty straightforward as it tells the story in near chronological order. I was hesistant to embrace this film adaptation when I first heard about it since alot of the mystery of of the story wouldn't translate so well in film if they followed the strict order of how the story was told in the novel. For Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, to just adapt the novel straight-out would've made for a dull and boring mystery-thriller. I was glad that the Nolan brothers were inventive enough to borrow abit from Christopher Nolan's first feature film, Memento. Their film adaptation of The Prestige doesn't go backwards in its narrative, but it does mixes up the chronological order of the story somewhat, but not to the point that Tarantino does in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. The two Nolans fudges abit with the timeline to add some backstory filler to help give the characters that Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman portrays with the reason for their pathological obsession with each other.
  
  Christopher and Jonathan Nolan's screenplay for The Prestige was able to keep the mystery of the story intact, but it also keeps the amount of red herrings in such films to a minimum. Michael Caine's character, Harry Cutter, opens up the film explaining just exactly what constitutes a magic trick on stage. How it's divided into three parts. First, there's "The Pledge" wherein the magician shows the audience something ordinary he or she will use in the trick. Soon, the magician will follow this up with "The Turn" where the abovementioned ordinary object does something extraordinary in front of the audience. The pay-off of the magician's trick is "The Prestige" where the audience's astonishment occurs as they fail to deconstruct and figure out the means of the trick. That's pretty much the film in a nutshell. It's one big magic trick. The clues are there for the audience to see, gather and extrapolate their answer to the mystery that is the story. The screenplay doesn't treat the audience as if they need to be hand-held throughout the film. In fact, anyone who pays attention will be able to solve one-half of the mystery by the first hour. I won't say exactly whose half of the mystery it will be but people will be kicking themselves afterwards if they don't figure it out right away.
  
  This magic trick of a film does have its many underlying layers of themes to add some complexity, drama and tension to the characters of Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman). I've already mentioned that throughout the film their mutual obsession about each other is due to a backstory detailing their past. A past where they were initially friends --- rivals even --- and apprentices to the magician Harry Cutter (excellently played by Michael Caine as the only voice of reason throughout the film). Borden and Angier's obsession is not just in ruining and sabotaging each other's magic tricks and lives, but also trying to find out each other's secrets as they both learn magic tricks which amaze and thrill the gentry of London's stage. From the beginning of the film these two characters begin a journey towards a path of destructive behavior which puts not just each other's lives at risk, but those who they care about. All of it in the name of humiliating and upstaging the other due to a tragic incident early in their mutual careers. These two individuals were not sympathetic characters and I applaud Christopher Nolan and his brother for not softening up their hard edges.
  
  Most adaptors will try to make a story's characters more sympathetic and likable. They went the opposite in The Prestige. But even these two dark characters continue to exude the charisma and strong personalities that the audience will root for one or the other. Should they root for the charismatic and born shownman that Hugh Jackman's Angier character plays or go for the perfectionist Borden character Christian Bale plays. A perfectionist whose technical skills surpasses that of Angier's but whose introverted and brooding personality makes him little or no stage presence.
  
  Both Jackman and Bale play their characters well. The film wouldn't be so good if it wasn't for the work of these two actors. It helps that they're surrounded by quality supporting character like Michael Caine as the seasoned, veteran mentor to the dueling magicians. Even Scarlett Johansson does very well with the part she's given. It's a part that many sees as more of a throwaway character. A piece of very good-looking distraction for both the story and the audience. But she gamely plays the role of pawn for both Angier and Borden. Unlike Michael Caine's character who remains the singular voice of sanity in the film, even Johansson's character of Olivia gets pulled into the obsessions and betrayals that's plagued both Angier and Borden. But in the end, she's just part of the process of "The Turn" and if people have been watching the film closely right from the beginning then she's also a clue as to the secret of one of the amazing magic tricks shown by the two magicians.
  
  The Prestige also has a distinct look about it. The 19th-century London just before the start of the new millenium gives it a certain sense of Victorian-era familiarity. Production designer Nathan Crowley shows a London at the height of its Gilded Age, but soon gives way to a certain steampunk look as inventor Nikola Tesla makes an appearance during an integral part of the story. David Bowie portrays Tesla as an eccentric genius whose search for the secrets of the universe will lead to the discovery of what many of that era would consider magic. It's the ingenius looking technology created for the Tesla sequence which finally gives The Prestige it's root in fantasy and science-fiction. The film doesn't dwell on this new development but from that part of the story and until the end, the film takes on a look and feel of a steampunk mystery-thriller. There's not enough films that tries to mine this new subgenre and I, for one, am glad that Christopher Nolan added this new dimension to the film's overall look.
  
  In the end, The Prestige really needs to be seen to be appreciated and for people to make up their minds about the film. Some will see it as a thriller with twists and turns that doesn't insult the intelligence of its audience. Some may see the film as just one large gimmick from start to end. Those people will probably be correct as well. The film at its most basic level is one long magic trick with all three acts. It has "The Pledge" which is then followed up by "The Turn" and then ends with "The Prestige". It will be up to each individual who sees the film to make the final decision as to whether they've bought into all three acts of the magic trick that is The Prestige, or come away having felt like they've wasted their time. I've not come across many who felt like the latter, even those whose own feelings about the film don't reach the same level of praise as I have for Christopher Nolan's latest offering. All I know is that this is a film that delivers on its premise to confound and amaze. It also continues to validate my views that Bruce Wayne and Batman are in very good hands with Christopher Nolan at the wheel. The Prestige is easily one of the best film of 2006.
  
  

• Games people play ...

  
  By A3NH7PYU4AD5GA on 2006-10-31
  I walked out of the cinema a little put off. Somehow the drama of the deadly competition between the two magicians left me cold. The riddles were either not very hard to figure out, or quite hard to believe, so not really so interesting.
  The strongest moments are the ambiguities in the relations between males and females. Scarlet does a good walk on the ridge between two lovers here, although her part is clearly a "supporting" one. Bale's strongest moments are not when he is at war with Jackman, but when he is going through his daily difficulties with his wife.
  Caine has had worthier challenges.
  The main weakness of the movie, from my perspective, is the emotional investment of the protagonists in something that is not all that worth working yourself up for, not to talk about killing. If you can not share an obsession, it is not all that fascinating to watch after all. For me, this may be Bale's weakest film that I have seen so far. He does not seem to be plausible, not even after the secret comes out.
  
  

• One of the Best Films that Got Overlooked

  
  By A2UL0A8GJB4318 on 2007-01-08
  Proof positive that director Christopher Nolan, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are among the finest, richest talents in Hollywood, "The Prestige" is a wickedly clever and riveting tale of all consuming obsession. Don't be fooled by the magic angle. This is a classic tale that simply uses rival magicians and the tricks of their trade to illustrate what all-too driven individuals are willing to unleash on one another in the name of one-upsmanship and superiority. Bale and Jackman are terrific as the pair of rival magic men who try to destroy each other, their destructive animosity etched on their faces. And its a showcase for the considerable talents of Christopher Nolan, who (along with his screenwriter kin Johnathon Nolan) executes one the most impressively acrobatic balancing acts in cinematic storytelling with the ease of a born illusionist. Set in turn of the century England, magicians Alfred Borden (Bale) and Robert Angier (Jackman) toil to ascend to the upper echelons of the London entertainment circuit, under the tutelage of Cutter (the always superb Michael Caine), an experienced magician's aide. Borden's and Angier's relationship turns poisionous after a tragic accident during a routine show, and both attempt to sabotage to other's attempt to rebuild their stiymied careers until Borden unveils a mind-boggling trick called the "Transported Man," and Angier is driven nearly insane trying to discover Borden's methods that may (or may not) involve revolutionary new electrical technology developed by Nikola Tesla (a suprisingly restrained and haunting David Bowie). The Nolan brothers take this story and send through the gauntlet, using flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks keep their audience just a little off guard and totally unprepared for the final twists that come furiously flying in the film's film's minutes while never losing sight of the slowly deteriorating psyches of their characters. In other words, they tell their story just as any good magician would perform his trick. But stick with them. The film, although sometimes a grueling task to follow, steadily coalesces and amply rewards the careful observer. Besides, Wally Pfister's cinematography, which finds the right balance of elegance and grittiness, and Lee Smith's rhythmic editing practically draw the audience in. If "The Prestige" somehow passed you by in theaters, do not let it slip by now. Watch closely at the on the best films waiting to be discovered.
  
  

• Please ignore the mindless negative reviews!

  
  By A20KXLFIHDKYP3 on 2007-01-10
  Is this film perfect? No. Is it fascinating, unsettling and dark? Yes. Those qualities don't by themselves equal a good movie, but Chris Nolan has done a splendid job of taking an excellent, but cinematically challenging novel and molding it into a fine film. Read Christopher Priest's award-winning book "The Prestige," and you'll appreciate just how many original concepts and new writing went into the film script. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are both perfectly cast. The reviewer who wrote that the film has "nothing to do with magic or magicians" must have seen a completely different movie! And David Bowie does a super job of bringing the brilliant Nikola Tesla, the "father of electricity" to life.
  
  
• "You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled."
  By A2ZLROGIL2V7GV on 2007-03-27
  I heard of "The Prestige" when it came out on DVD, but I didn't know too much about it. Saw some commercials for it here and there, but I wasn't sure if it was something that I had to see right away. It wasn't until I went to a store and saw that this was directed by none other than the brilliant Christopher Nolan (who directed my all-time favorite movie, "Memento"). That's all it took for me to buy the DVD without even really knowing what the movie was about. I didn't care. It had Nolan's name on it, and that's all I needed. I watched it the next day and couldn't believe how great this movie was. Not only that, but I ended up watching it again only a few hours after my first viewing.
  
  Unfortunately, there are so many twists and turns in this wild ride that I'll have to be brief in describing what it's about so I don't end up giving away something crucial (yeah, it's one of those where you give away one little thing, and it could possibly ruin the movie for the other person). As simplistic as I can put it the film concerns two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden. The two were quite the team and worked together splendidly until one night one of their well known tricks goes wrong and ends up costing Angier a loved one. He blames Borden for his loss and becomes obsessed with finding any means to out-show him, learn his secrets and destroy him.
  
  I know, this sounds like a typical "thriller," but that's really only a small outline of the movie. I had to keep it short and simple to avoid giving away too much. "The Prestige" works more as a drama/thriller/mystery. The entire theme of the movie is to "watch closely," and there's reason for that. You're not entirely sure what is going on until the very end, and even then you feel like you have to watch it again right away to verify what you've just witnessed. Nolan's great at playing head-games with you, and it's nice to see him dive intos that area of film again. Even though you're always trying to piece together what's going on, none of that takes away the enjoyment of watching these characters and how they interact in the environment around them. The look and feel of the film is very dark, but it looks so gorgeous.
  
  The performances from Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine are perfect. Bale never ceases to amaze me in the roles he takes, as he commits himself a hundred percent every time. David Bowie even makes a small appearance in the film, and trust me when I say this, you do not see him as David Bowie on the screen. You buy into his character completely.
  
  It must be said, even though this is a PG-13 movie, it gets pretty disturbing and the overall tone of the movie is dark and cold. I wouldn't recommend it for children. The DVD doesn't offer a whole lot of features, which is a shame because I have the suspicion that they will re-release it in a "fully-loaded" edition later on (which I will have to go and buy).
  
  "The Prestige" is a total success, and then some. It's one of those movies that you have to watch more than once, and each time you see it (just like with "Memento"), chances are you're going to pick up on something that you didn't see the first time around. If you're looking for something different and unique, I strongly suggest giving this a try. It ranks up there as one of my top favorites of 2006. Nice to see that Christopher Nolan has made another fantastic movie and has proven that he's not just a one-trick pony. The movie may have a lot of twists and turns to keep you interested, but they never take away from the great story and characters.
  
  Are you watching closely? -Michael Crane
  
  
• They're Magically Malicious
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2006-10-21
  Never has the world of illusion been as cleverly portrayed as it is in Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige." Much like a real magic show, it's filled with enough twists and turns to render even the most astute observer completely powerless. It's almost as if the film is daring the audience to guess the outcome, knowing full well that they won't even come close. It's manipulation to the extreme, and it makes the film's main question, "Are you watching closely?" all the more absorbing. How interesting that I allowed myself to fall for such trickery, especially since I usually don't like to be tricked. I can't recall the last time I enjoyed being this manipulated by a story; even the well-crafted "The Illusionist" didn't lure me in as deeply.
  
  Maybe that's because "The Prestige" takes the illusory aspects one step further, first by telling the story out of sequence, second by including an intense rivalry. Taking place in London between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the plot concerns two magicians: the sly Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and the consumed American Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman). They follow a three-act formula used by all magicians. As described by the illusion technician Cutter (Michael Caine), they are as follows: act one is The Pledge, in which a magician displays an everyday object; act two is The Turn, in which that everyday object is made to do something extraordinary, such as disappear; and act three is The Prestige, in which the object reappears, dazzling an audience too afraid to applaud at the end of act two.
  
  The problem is that they follow this formula even when they're offstage, with one relying on his showmanship skills to outdo the other. As the film progresses, their antics get increasingly ugly, especially in Angier's case. How did such hostility come into being? It directly relates to Angier's wife, Julia (Piper Perabo), who died as the result of a failed magic trick. Both Angier and Borden were initially employed as audience plants for a magic show, one that included Julia as the magician's assistant. The finale involved her being dropped into a locked water tank with her wrists and ankles tied. The tank was then covered for a short length of time. When the illusion was working successfully, she could slip out of the ropes and free herself. For the audience's perspective, it looked as if she magically transported out of the tank.
  
  Her safety depended on the rope itself; in order to escape, a special knot had to be tied, one that would allow for easy loosening. After a while, Borden found that tying the same knot was too predictable; he wanted to tie a knot that looked more complex, as if to say to the crowd that she wouldn't be able to escape as easily. Only he and Julia thought the idea was worth a try, and because of that, we don't know for sure whether or not it was actually attempted. All we do know is that one night something went horribly wrong, and ultimately, Julia drowned in the tank. Even Cutter--who always waited offstage with an axe in case of such an emergency--was too late to save her (too bad CPR didn't exist in those days; there might have been a chance for her).
  
  After the accident, the two men go their separate ways and star in their own magic shows. But for Angier, this doesn't mean that he's gotten over the whole mess; from his point of view, Borden is directly responsible for Julia's death. What's worse, Borden has a wife named Sarah (Rebecca Hall) and a daughter named Jess (Samantha Mahurin). Why does he deserve the family that Angier will never have? This ignites a vindictiveness Angier had never known before, a seething, white-hot vindictiveness that drives him into obsession. He's determined to ruin Borden's reputation, first by discovering the secrets to his greatest illusions, then by making them better. The trouble is that Borden refuses to give any of his secrets away; being a magician, he's committed to preserving the mysterious nature of an illusion. This goes double for The Prestige, which is always the most impressive act of a magic show.
  
  A series of payback attempts are set into motion, most of which involve one man disguising as a spectator and volunteering during the other man's show. Several tricks are ruined, some people get hurt, and everyone comes away feeling humiliated. Cutter involves himself purely as an effects wizard and manager, rigging Angier up with the latest and greatest magic-making gizmos. But when he appoints a new assistant for Angier--Olivia Wenscombe (Scarlett Johansson)--the stakes are raised even higher. After an initially harmonious relationship, Angier shows his true nature by ordering her to become Borden's assistant; hopefully, earning the enemy's trust will give her access to valuable information. But it soon becomes clear that she has her own agenda, specifically when it comes to her affair with Borden.
  
  And this brings to light a fairly intricate subplot. While Sarah has yet to discover the truth of her husband's infidelity, she's known right from the start that he often behaves differently, despite his constant professions of love. "There are days when you mean it," she says, insinuating that on other days, he's more in love with his magic tricks. It seems that with Borden, it's one evasion after another, with any attempt at personal discussion met with silence and vagueness. "Secrets are my life," he says simply; it's a line that initially seems forgettable but ultimately takes on a wealth of significance. By the end of the film, the audience will come to understand just how important this subplot is.
  
  They will also come to understand how deep a hole Angier is digging himself into. He's become aware a new illusion called The Transported Man; the magician enters a door on one side of the stage and immediately exits through another door on the other side of the stage. Borden has been praised for performing this trick, and because of that, Angier just has to learn the secret. And it seems as if he will; Because of Olivia, he now has possession of Borden's coded diary, one that can only be deciphered with a specific keyword (incidentally, Angier is also keeping a diary). This keyword leads Angier back to America, specifically to Colorado. In a remote mountain area, he meets the reclusive Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) and his assistant, Alley (Andy Serkis), both of whom are working on a top-secret electric device.
  
  This device may be the key to upstaging Borden and his Transported Man trick. I'm afraid I can't say how. I'm also afraid I can't say what the device actually does. I can say this: watching it work is both awesome and frightening. A central metal sphere shoots lightening bolts in all directions, all of which gain in intensity when an object is placed in the machine's center. It's both respected and feared, like all new inventions are. But the role it ultimately plays is too important for me to describe, especially since it's part of a trial subplot that's woven throughout the film.
  
  How does it all come together? What of Angier, Borden, and Cutter? I shouldn't even be hinting at these questions, for I fear that I've already said too much. Like a live magic show, "The Prestige" depends on secrecy in order to be completely effective. It also depends on your willingness to be fooled; many times I thought I had things figured out, and many times I was proven wrong. Almost every plot point in this film is turned on its head, and they go in directions I never expected them to go in. Maybe the loose structure is partially responsible; if the story does in fact follow the magician's three-act formula, then each act is probably not where it should be. The Prestige may be at the beginning. Then again, it may not be. Are you watching closely?
  
  
• Engrossing and unsettling depiction of rivalry, revenge and magic
  By AGVWTYW0ULXHT on 2007-01-09
  The Prestige works on many levels, as a character study and a depiction of rivalry and revenge, as a period piece that illuminates the ingenuity and sacrifice and risk required to carry off the trickery and deception of stage magic. It is a very entertaining film, that captivated my attention throughout, was very well acted (especially by Christian Bale) and very well paced. It is, moreover, a film that does not commit the usual crime of Hollywood films of dumbing things down for its audience. Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who obviously respects his audience, expects them to be capable of piecing things together, and doesn't lay everything out. (A recent film that is guilty of this sin is "Lucky Number Slevin" which was very entertaining but would have been much more interesting if the directors didn't feel the need to explain everything that anyone who had been paying attention would have already gotten, in great detail in the concluding scenes). Most interesting, I think, is the ending of the film, an ending many other reviewers take to have been a kind of fraud or cop out. As I read the film, the director uses this ending very deliberately to call attention to his own manipulation of audience expectations in the preceding parts of the film. While the methods of the "magic" in the end evoke horror and disgust, they in fact serve only as a grotesque mirror of the sacrifice required by the trickery that is depicted throughout. In hindsight, the ending can be seen to be prefigured by a very early scene in which we see how a bird is made to disappear and reappear. We accept and admire the skill and sacrifice and risk of the artists to a point -- but only when we have the security that in the end none of it is real. We want to suspend disbelief, but would be horrified if we truly believed. At some level, I think this functions as an intriguing reflection on what audiences want in film: we tend to want what we see to be as realistic as possible without crossing a line to make us believe it is really real -- brutal and bloody depictions of gratuitous violence are okay, and the more lifelike the better, but images of actual violence drawn from contemporary wars generate outrage. A film that can simultaneously do the job of being slick and entertaining, and at the same time raise intriguing and profound questions about the nature of entertainment, and of audience expectations, and of the relation between image and reality is definitely worth a look. I know I'll be seeing it again.
  
  
• A great movie
  By A1F2EYORWOZ3G1 on 2007-02-14
  I've read the other reviews just to see what they said. I happen to think this was a great film.
  The story was strong and convincing as well as the acting. The sets and costumes were fantastic.
  The story here was not the sleight of hand or illusion, but the competition. How far would anyone go to seek revenge? And just how would that revenge effect the one seeking it?
  Truly an original story here filled with mystery, doubt, revenge and the illusions that surround us. All the players are in fine form here. Each one fleshes out their character quite well and play into the common theme dynamically.
  If you like a good mystery that is tense and driven, then this is the film for you. A rare trip as of late as most mysteries have to be gore or flesh driven. But not this one. All Hitchcock and DePalma fans will love this one.
  
  
• Electrifying Rivalry Played Out on the Stage...are you watching very closely?
  By A278AF56R7J86 on 2007-02-17
  In magic tricks, whats the point of making something disappear...if you can't bring it back? "The Prestige" is a truly thrilling tale about two magicians whose ruthless rivalry stems from a tragic accident (for which one blames the other). They cause each other much pain, physically and emotionally, throughout the years of relentless effort to out-do each other in their respective magic shows. However, when one of them stumbles onto a bit of *real*, but dangerous, magic...just how far will he go to utilize it in his show, and take his final prestige with the satisfaction of knowing he has won...
  
  From start to finish, this movie will hold you in it's spell. Hugh Jackman and Christina Bale turn in electrifying performances as the battling magicians, and they each compliment each other very well. It wouldn't be difficult for a great performance to get lost among the equally great performances in this all-star cast. Scarlett Johannsen has a supporting role, as does Michael Caine. However, Jackman and Bale each shine more brightly than the others -- and thats the way it should be.
  
  In the world of magicians, the end of a magic trick is known as the 'prestige'. For example, if one was performing a trick to make something disappear, the prestige of that trick would be the reappearance of the disappeared item, after which the magician would smile at the crowd and take a bow. In the film, the two magicians battle each other to claim the greatest prestige to the most dazzling trick imaginable...
  
  Throughout the film you will see the obsession within each magician grow -- and you will see the price each pays for it. When it comes to obsession, at what point is the price too high? This is a question this film explores. Is the price of your family's suffering too much? How about the use of your hands, arms, or legs? Do you have the courage to hurt yourself? Is any of this too high a price...or will you press on with your obsession until it completely destroys you and those you love?
  
  A small sticking point is that the film *does* give the viewer enough clues to deduce the big twist revealed at the end...but that doesn't stop it from being a great twist! Even if you think you've figured it out before the ending, just sit back and enjoy the ride anyway!
  
  Bottom line, this film is fantastic, and very well written, directed, and acted. I highly recommend it because you won't be disappointed in this thrill-ride -- it's a real trip...
  
  
• A pointlessly macabre story of two soulless men devoid of morals or sanity
  By AH93HX89KVQG2 on 2007-07-16
  Murders, hangings, drownings, shootings, dismemberments, suicides, betrayals, huge deceptions, cruelty (to people and animals), ruthlessness... it's all here in this pointlessly macabre film about two late-19th century magicians who are perfectly willing to destroy themselves, each other, and everyone they love in their mutual quest for revenge and for 'the best trick'. But even their 'tricks' are not impressive or interesting to watch, which might have been a redeeming feature.
  
  I wanted to see it because I was told it was 'sooo much better' than The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition), which I really enjoyed. And with Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Scarlett J, how could it go wrong? In fact the only good thing I can say about it is that HJ and SJ looked great in the period costumes. But the Illusionist is 10x better.
  
  The synopsis says that it 'stays with you' - and it certainly does... like a bad disease! I watched this last night and the resulting depression is still lingering!
  
  I'm in the minority in my opinion of this movie, so I'm sure this review won't stay near the top for long... but I just had to share my disappointment about it, if only to get it out of my system so I can move on with my day!
  
  
• My Favorite Film of 2006
  By A1TW9ZGRDQQZ2Y on 2006-12-29
  I have seen about 50 or more movies this year and I have to say I enjoyed The Prestige the most. It won't win any awards like The Departed, but it sure will entertain you. Christian Bale is an amazing actor as always, but Hugh Jackman really surprised me here, as well as, David Bowie himself. There are so many twists and turns I am sure you will be watching this one more than once. While I liked The Illusionist, The Prestige is the magic film of 2006!
  
  
• Abracadabra!!
  By A1Y9UJQP109RBC on 2007-01-03
  I had a great want to see The Prestige because of my own love of "magic" and illusions. I am that very person that Michael Cane talks about when he says "Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it because you're not really looking. You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled." If someone knows how an illusion is done DON'T TELL ME!! Just let me be amazed! I have a friend who does magic on the side and I learned things by default from hanging around him. But he can still amaze me any day!
  This movie makes you use your brain. All the twists are what made it a wonderful experience for me. I felt the cast was well picked and the actors gave their hearts to it all. I don't walk out of many movies saying I want to go see that again. I will say "I have to buy that when it comes out on video." But The Prestige was one of the few that I said I would see again before it came out on video! The movie was a delight and if you don't like this movie I feel bad for you!...." Are you watching closely?"
  
  
  
• Too long, repetitive, even dull
  By A1P5H3XSXI2Y25 on 2007-01-06
  If you have seen this movie, then run, don't walk to a theatre near you to see a far superior film: The Illusionist! It will help get your mind off this mess of a film.
  
  If you haven't seen The Prestige, then be aware that the film has little to nothing to do with magic or magicians. This is a period piece about revenge in all its grotesque glory. There are no redeeming social values to be discovered nor any morality at all.
  
  In addition the film defames the brilliant Nikola Tesla!
  
  The performances are well crafted by the actors, but the script is so weak, at times confusing, and so narrow in scope that one loses interest in who wins or loses.
  
  
• Some interesting history here
  By A2Z6BXEMDDLJ5Z on 2007-01-16
  The Prestige makes an interesting point: that we want our entertainment to look exactly like the real thing, without being the real thing. We want it to look like people are really being shot on film, but we act appalled when shown real footage of people being shot. This point is explored in the film through the story of obsessed Victorian/Edwardian magicians. They each seek better methods for a teleportation act, until one of them is really able to teleport. This means, however, that it's no longer a magic trick. The amazement dissolves. As Teller has observed, when we watch a mentalist perform, the performance is only amazing because we know that there is no such thing as real psychics. The appreciation and sense of amazement comes from our wondering then how such feats are pulled off. If we thought that some people could really read minds, then watching a mind-reading act would be boring! It would be like watching a levitation act performed in a zero-gravity space station! The Hugh Jackman character does not realize this. His obsession for better and better magic blinds him. He cannot figure out the Christian Bale character's method (though it should quickly become obvious to the viewers, as the camera will only show a certain character's face in brief flashes, or obscured in shadow--a bad mistake made by the filmmakers). Once he finds the real thing however, it's no longer magic. It's science. The theater manager realizes this, making him place an unneeded trapdoor in the stage. Why? Because if it looks "too real," then the audience won't like it. It will no longer be entertainment.
  
  For others interested in magic, or for fellow magicians, there are several things of special interest in the film, including: The famous magician Ricky Jay has a brief cameo. The trick that Christian Bale sees an old "Chinaman" perform and then can't figure out was in fact a real piece of Chinese magic, made famous by the Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo. The Bullet Catch routine really was very dangerous. Antonio Blitz, in the 1830s, was injured when a participant dropped tacks in the pistol and fired them through Blitz's hand. Blitz later caught a participant dropping a brass button in the barrel. He stopped performing the trick. Ching Ling Foo impersonator William Robinson, famous as "Chung Ling Soo," was killed by the bullet catch, as were many other magicians. The film also portrays David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, the famous scientist. Tesla really was a groundbreaking scientist, and he really did have a lab in Colorado Springs from 1899 to 1900, where he produced artificial lightning, investigating lightning signals, and demonstrated that the earth is a conductor. He lit the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago with AC power. He also claimed to receive signals from space, which he thought were extraterrestrial in origin. He later worked on some sort of "death ray," and eventually developed a reputation as a mad scientist, even though he was named the inventor of the radio. He claimed to have completed a unified theory of gravity, which others found incomprehensible. He doubted Einstein's claims, stating that they contained many underlying errors. He wanted to make a flying machine that had neither wings nor propellers. He wisely stated that God has attributes, and they all come from us. It was an interesting bit of history, throwing such a mysterious figure in the film as the originator of the impossible feat portrayed. I was slightly disappointed, having hoped the film would portray some real magic. It came close, just as the Illusionist did with its computer animated simulations of real Victorian magic, but also fell short of my hopes.
  
  
  
• Excellent Script and Acting!
  By AW65B24JPFQ3I on 2007-02-16
  The Prestige is an awe-inspiring film which allowed its two key antagonists (Hugh Hackman and Christian Bale) to put aside their comic book alter egos and endulge in a bit of turn of the century magical whimsey.
  
  I truly enjoyed the twists and turns thoughout the course of the movie. If you haven't seen it before, you have to be sure to pay attention from the very beginning. The movie truly takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. You are not quite sure which of the magicians you root for, but you are constantly filled with anticipation to see how the deception, misdirection and folly is played out.
  
  MUST SEE movie of 2006.
  
  
• Smoke and Mirrors!
  By A2BDZAU0Y4J6NB on 2008-03-01
  I'm glad that a reviewer explained the significance of the infernal machine upon which "The Prestige" centers, because this darkly-elegant Victorian thriller about magicians is so contorted with twists and turns of plot that it is almost incomprehensible. Although I was willing to suspend my disbelief for much of the film, eventually its unpleasant--not to say sadistic--undertone made me stand back, as it were, and take a closer look. I then realized that what ought to have been coherent narrative was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. And while these are to be expected in a movie about illusion, the smoke was so thick and the mirrors were so distorted that they made the considerable talents of Michael Caine and Hugh Jackman simply disappear--as if by magic.
  
  In the bonus feature, the director explains his reliance on visual metaphor, such as birds in cages, glowing incandescent bulbs, and multiples of top hats and black cats, and although I certainly enjoy a good visual metaphor when I see one (The oranges in Coppola's "Godfather" trilogy serve as an example.), I do not like being bashed over the head with one. Without a coherent plot, such metaphors not only remain empty but also render the film pretentious.
  
  The blurb on the DVD cover informs the viewer that he'll "want to see it again the second it's over." That might be because he was totally mystified the first time around!
  
  
• Malevolent Magicians in Mixed Meanderings
  By A36EW68H08UOCS on 2006-10-23
  Christopher Nolan has expertise making movies with narratives that aren't straightforward. (If you have not, you really should see "Memento" which is told in five minute chunks - arranged in reverse order.) In "The Prestige" he takes a first-rate cast and a lurid magic-noir story and ends with a result that had my family talking for an hour afterward. Do I recommend it? Yes. Is it perfect? No. There are plot twists aplenty. Not all of them are as surprising as the film wants them to be. (Did you guess the "secret" of "The Sixth Sense"? Me neither. At least one of the major "secrets" of this film lumbers along in front of your eyes for half the film, and when it is revealed I didn't get that sense of being deliciously tricked that I got from Sixth Sense.) The final "secret" required a little more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give as a character-drive period drama ends with a science fiction device as unbelievable as time-travel. It was a good plot device - for a different story.
  
  Hugh Jackman joins actors who have worked with Mr. Nolan before: Michael Caine and Christian Bale. Hugh plays Angier while Bale plays Borden - rivals who escalate their professional rivalry into a deadly game of one-upmanship. Michael Caine's character builds the elaborate magical devices used onstage. He serves as both supporting character and a one-man Greek Chorus of sorts as he introduces elements of the story. The non-linear narrative covers three distinct time periods. In the earliest time period Angier and Borden are assistants to a magician who has great illusory skills, but not much showmanship. In this period Piper Perabo is Mrs. Angier - the lovely female assistant to the older plodding magician. Something happens to Piper that ratchets up the rivalry between the younger magicians to matching deadly obsessions. In the "middle" timeline Angier leaves Victorian London to visit the mysterious Nikola Tesla and his electric laboratory in the snow-capped mountains of Colorado Springs. Tesla is played by David Bowie in a surprisingly effective performance. Andy Sirkis steps out of the role of Gollum to finally arrive on-screen with his face shown. The Colorado sequences are effective with the snow-covered setting and Bowie's performance - portraying Tesla as half mad-scientist, half philosophical sage. Angier commissions Tesla to build the "ultimate" magic trick. In the latest storyline we are shown that Angier is killed during one of his performances by Borden in the most extreme expression of the rivalry between the two malevolent magicians. But is Angier really dead? If he is, was it Borden who really killed him?
  
  Rebecca Hall plays Borden's wife, Sarah, and Scarlett Johansson plays Olivia, who is first hired to be the pretty distraction assistant to Angier. Angier sends her to spy on Borden and to this moment, I'm not certain who her loyalties were chiefly with, although I suspect both by the end. I've read other reviews that say she is wasted or underused in this role, but a lesser actress would have had a more difficult time making us believe that Olivia could be torn between the two men - or as involved in the underhanded dealings that occur.
  
  Secret journals add to the twists and turns. It took a good hour of talking after the film for all the members of my family (myself included) to have pieced together all the clues and surprises that had been unleashed - particularly in the final ten minutes.
  
  I have not read Christopher Priest's original novel, so I don't know how much the single quibble I have with the screenplay (the science fiction part) has to do with the original novel compared to the adaptation by Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan. If I may offer my opinion - could not the story have been resolved without the use of a plot device that is simply scientifically impossible?
  
  
  
• If you loved the edgier episodes of "The Twilight Zone" . . .
  By A2D9IEFJGB483Q on 2007-01-07
  If you are a fan of Steam Punk (Verne-Wells Victorian Sci-Fi, "The Wild, Wild, West"), or love the edgier episodes of "The Twilight Zone," then you will love the movie.
  
  It is essentially a psychodrama about a rivalry and obsession that goes out of control. The distinct difference is that this is a Steam Punk Victorian Era, which is only revealed at the end of the movie, and various Christophers associated with this project (writer, director) used the rivalry of magicians as the friction-point.
  
  About one-third of the way through, my heart was broken because I could tell there were no heroes in the move. This is a credit to all involved, since it illustrates the point that obsession, rivalry, and revenge are like an oil slick: everyone is left greasy and dirty. Even the mentors who should have known better are dingy.
  
  Additionally, the non-linear flashback/flash forward added to the theme. What we see is one odd lump of humanity. Again, this lumpiness reminds us of the sad results of obsession, rivalry, and revenge.
  
  I do have one criticism. Tesla was portrayed as being cautious toward science. This is inaccurate. Even at this stage in his life, he still had a burning passion for science. His autobiography begins with these words, "The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is the most important product of his creative brain. Its ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of the forces of nature to human needs. This is the difficult task of the inventor who is often misunderstood and unrewarded. But he finds ample compensation in the pleasing exercises of his powers and in the knowledge of being one of that exceptionally privileged class without whom the race would have long ago perished in the bitter struggle against pitiless elements."
  
  Read "Tesla: Man Out Of Time" for a more accurate description of the Wizard of Colorado Springs.
  
  Note: The ending almost left with a feeling of deus ex machine, but after reviewing this film--it is shuffled like "Citizen Kane"--I realized there were enough clues and proper set up for the semi-surprise ending.
  
  PS--and yes, seeing Wolverine, Batman, Gollum, and Ziggy Stardust in one film makes it worth seeing.
  
  
• Amazing!
  By A3HVCXCY4N1LCC on 2007-02-12
  "The Prestige", in my opinion, is one of the best movies of 2006! It has a very intricate plot line, in which it is, virtually impossible to understand by only seeing it one time. I saw it four times in the theater and it is truly amazing. Definitely some of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale's best work thus far.
  
  
• Obsession with illusion
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2007-03-03
  It takes more than smoke and mirrors
  To produce a grand illusion
  Magicians have their special tricks
  For crafting a delusion
  
  The warm-up sequence is "the pledge"
  This aims to misdirect
  "The turn" provides the drama
  Then "the prestige" for effect
  
  Bale and Jackman play two guys
  Who jump out of their chairs
  To answer a magician's call
  For "random" volunteers
  
  Until one day a trick goes wrong
  The end result is grim
  One ties a knot that won't untie
  The other one blames him
  
  When they become magicians they
  Disrupt each other's tricks
  Revenge becomes obsession
  For these driven lunatics
  
  When Borden shows his latest stunt
  The Great Danton's in trouble
  He can't transport himself without
  A willing body double
  
  One thing leads to other things
  And with a strange device
  Danton achieves the fame he seeks
  But has to pay the price
  
  Each one loses someone dear
  And then much more than that
  They should have stuck to simply
  Pulling rabbits from a hat
  
  Some parts are really much too long
  The twist hides in plain sight
  It's well worth watching to the end
  (Prepare for a long night)
  
  
  
  Amanda Richards, March 2, 2007
  
  
  
• A Massive Disappointment...
  By A1CQJYMTE8C6WJ on 2007-03-08
  The plot has been discussed elsewhere so let's get down to brass tacks.
  
  We had heard nothing but great things about this movie and expected nothing less. I've been a Christian Bale fan since Reign of Fire and Jackman never fails to turn in a rock solid performance.
  
  Unfortunately, the film broke a cardinal rule right off the bat: Every story must have a protagonist and an antagonist to evolve and carry the plot. This film DOESN'T.
  
  So intense and fanatical is the rivalry between the two, it quickly becomes apparent that the viewer really doesn't CARE about either character. We don't especially like either one of them, much less feel the emotional bonding needed to rally behind one or the other.
  
  Michael Caine is superbly understated. With no "hero" to root for, Caine could have easily stolen the spotlight and probably should have done exactly that. It has become readily apparent that Caine, a rare and undisputed "Oliver Class" actor's actor, simply becomes better and better and still better with age. Rest assured that there's a well deserved Special Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in Caine's future. I seriously doubt that this film will be on the highlight reel.
  
  Bottom line: This film wastes a lot of talent for no discernable reason. It was about as satisfying as spending two hours with a stuttering insurance man.
  
  
• Working With a Good Paradox
  By A1HUVTK5HHHTK4 on 2007-02-12
  If you have a chance, take the time to read Christopher Priest's "The Prestige". The book is very different from the movie. The book describes the lives and careers of Angier and Borden through their journal and diary. It takes some patience to get through it, but is worth it. There are plenty of allusions to doubles and twins, but done in such a way that provides enough mystery. Plus the ending blends fantasy with a little bit of horror.
  
  Of course, we want to talk about the movie. The acting is fabulous. Both Bale and Jackman tackle their roles quite well. The difficulty is how to take two journals and piece a movie together that's understandable and, considering the inclusion of science fiction, believable. "The Prestige" provides the right amount of intrigue while providing an acceptable plot. When Borden's actions cause the death of Angier's love, retaliation is the natural step. This creates a hot and vengeful feud between the two magicians, which end is destruction. It's interesting that the paradox surrounding Angier's life contributes to this destruction.
  
  For those who appreciate acting, along with a mixture of paradox and irony, the movie will cause you to think. It was nice to see Michael Caine after a little absence from the screen. It was also nice to see a little magic.
  
  
• What a trick _ A thinking man's film that entertains!
  By A3HLWKFKUIEY4G on 2007-02-20
  For me, this was one of the most involving movies of 2006. Like a magic trick, I was totally mesmerized. I like movies that don't follow trends and aren't predictable. I like movies that make you think. Nevertheless, I was initially frustrated at the end of this film, because I hadn't figured it out when the credits rolled. I finally got it while in the theater parking lot. After realizing this, I gained a great appreciation of the writing and the direction. This is not an easy story to tell. The story itself is a trick. there are clues throughout the film, but you don't realize it until its over. This is a movie you see with friends and can talk about for hours later. It's a perfect DVD purchase because you want to see it over and over to catch all the clues and tricks.
  
  
• Well Shot, Well Acted Film... Story FULL of Holes
  By A1IAQIZSXONWVU on 2007-04-15
  If you like beautifully shot, well acted films with plot lines and twists that have more holes that one of those huge wheels of swiss cheese you find at the cheese maker, this film is for you. The most impressive slight of hand here is that viewers thought this was a great story. I don't get it. The story fails so miserably I can't understand how this "thing" got made. Speaking of cheese, watch closely (as the opening narrative instructs us). Indeed. This film does not stand up to even the lightest level of scrutiny. I can't tell you why without spoiling the film but here goes, you've been warned. The entire premise of the "scientific" trick (or Tesla's REAL magic trick) at the end of the movie makes absolutely no sense at all if you are the guy doing the trick you are going to die. If you think about all those hats out in the woods and the cat, then who ever uses the device replicates himself (the person standing inside the device) and shows up in another place not to far from the device. If you are standing in the device you are going to die as soon as that trap door opens. Watch it and think about it for a few minutes. It does not make any sense without killing the original magician.
  
  Also, there are far too many contrived scenes where the magicians are sabotaging one another after being picked to assist in a trick from among the crowd. One will put on a disguise, go to the other's show, get picked to assist and then sabotage the trick. How could they keep picking each other, even with the disguise, out of a crowd of volunteers in the audience? Ridiculous.
  
  And that brings us to the identical twin that made the original transported man trick possible... Are we to believe that the wife and the daughter could not tell these two apart? Have you ever dated an identical twin? I have and I could quickly tell one from one another. So that aspect of the story is completely dumb. Also, are you telling me that the guy's wife would not even know he had an identical twin? Did a high schooler write this story?
  
  If the plot and twists are hard to follow (as one reviewer writes) it's because they don't make a darn bit of sense if you take a moment to consider what you've just seen.
  
  Again, well acted, beautiful imagery and costumes, it's well directed, and the story COULD have been good except the screen play writers didn't really think through the scenarios.
  
  
  This is a great movie picture wise, set-wise, and acting, IF you don't want to spend any time thinking about it.
  
  
• It Was Bad
  By A2A2SUY3IOQKY1 on 2006-10-26
  There are two magicians (Jackman and Bale) working for another magician in the 1890's. Bale ties a knot differently and causes the death of Jackman's wife (she can't escape the knot out of a water-filled glass enclosure, and dies in less than 1 minute). Anyway, for some reason, after her death, these guys are on their own - trying to perform magic tricks in London and viciously competing with each other. Bale suddenly acquires a sidekick who wears a hat, glasses, and big mustache, and NEVER says a word (until the very end). However, both Bale and Jackman lose their English accents periodically, which is weird. The whole thing is kind of weird, lots of back and forthing, reading of a journal, etc. Jackman is mad at Bale for causing his wife's death, and Bale really gets bent out of shape about that, and won't take any responsibility. Somehow Bale gets convicted of Jackman's murder, when there's no way he could have murdered him. Makes no sense. Then the ending - I won't reveal it, but it's moronic, simplistic, and unrealistic.
  
  Anybody who likes this movie is easy to please.
  
  
• Can't only see it once...
  By A2CK2JAWK61XC4 on 2007-01-04
  An above average movie. Very nice plot, although i doubt with seeing it one time that everything is completely clear...
  
  Movie is about two men who are magicians. One of them is married to a woman who dies during one of the acts. The man claims that his partner might have been involved. So, the movie carries on with these two men trying to outdo the other in magic and getting revenge.
  
  You have to pay really close attention to what is going on, as it is very easy to get lost in the plot. It goes back and forth from past to future. Good acting. A good story. Nicely done.
  
  However, i would have to see it a couple of times more to completely understand it. It is very difficult to know the motives for each scene. The language was a bit hard to understand at times too.
  
  An overall good movie. Recommended.
  
  
• Real good.
  By A35W02MUVYH1RF on 2007-01-12
  I was thrilled to watch the Prestige. I saw it twice. I have seen all of Nolan's movies and they all better the second time. Here is why. Besides the
  acting being over the top Nolan knows how to keep you fascianted on what is going on. So being on the edge of my seat is hynotizing and I begin to miss some of the wonderful details. The second time I am able to take it all in.
  Obsession not love (the Illusionist is a magical romance) motivates the two Magicians. Both are seeking the reappearance of what they are missing.
  Actually what we are all seeking. I was pulled into the story by the wonderful magic and trying to figure out what I was missing. One magician
  says he is sorry and so was I that the movie was over.
  
  
• The Prestige is Magical
  By AZCDCO6KK2T81 on 2007-01-30
  I was completely hooked into this film right from the start. The plot twists and turns kept me glued to me seat and the screen. The acting was top-notch by all involved (especially David Bowie's supporting role), the writing was incredibly clever, and the direction was smooth and sure-footed. The unfolding of the "trick" or "tricks" is revealed a la M. Night Shylaman style (The Sixth Sense, The Village) and one can feel rather stupid at the end for not seeing the tricks all along, hence the catch phrase, "Are you watching?"
  
  It is hard to find much very redeeming about either competing magician, although one might be more on the side of the one who lost his wife, played by Jackman, due to the other magician's mistake during an act, played by Bale. It is sad to see Jackman's character not recover from this loss and to fall into obssessive revenge. Bale's character is tender in his family scenes and that actually is disturbing as we don't see him truly hurt or sorry for his part in his partner's wife's death. You would think as a family man he would be more sensitive to his partner's loss. In the end, we care little for these men and that is the saddest commentary of all. By the way, I'm not spoiling anything here as this is all revealed within the first 15 minutes of the film. It simply sets the stage, no pun intended, for the revenge plot portion of the film.
  
  This is a film not be missed. It is truly one of the best films of 2006 and should have been honored with a Best Picture nod. This film may not be to everyone's liking, but I loved it and highly recommend it along with The Illusionist and equally well done film about magic that went kind of unnoticed as "The Prestige" was a more splashy film at the time.
  
  
• Great Popcorn film...that has a PLOT!!!
  By ANJECC80HOKTM on 2007-01-31
  Have you not seen the Prestige? I believe you are missing out my friend! Considering many called it "the Other Magic movie" after the Illusionist's release, a huge group missed this special event in cinema. The Prestige is a film with rich sets, high profile actors (Jackman, Bale, Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie), and other makings of a popcorn movie. However, the film uses suspense, a little suspension of disbelief, and a dramatic twist to make it a mature mystery about the repurcussions of obsessive competition.
  
  The Prestige centers around two turn-of-the-century magicians,Robert Angier(Jackman;an honest man who enjoys entertaining and being the best) and Alfred Borden (Bale;a man who lives with guilt and has an un-shown trick that will beat all others), who worked together until the accidental death of Angier's wife. Angier holds a grudge against Borden for her death, but decides to move ahead to become the most prestigious magician. Borden then reappears with a NEW trick, one that challenges peoples' common sense and eyes. This trick is the Transported Man, in which Borden 1.throws a ball 2. enters a closet on one side of the stage 3.Comes out of a closet on the other side and 4. Catches the ball, all in a matter of seconds. Angier imitates this trick, but doesn't feel it is real enough if he uses a "stunt double"of sorts to catch the ball at the other end. He then travels to find a new variation that may very well beat Borden's. The two men then enter into a deadly rivalry to become the most popular entertainer, stopping at nothing to discover the secrets behind each other's trick.
  
  This is an amazing film from all aspects. The cinematography(Feels similar to Nolan's other film Batman Begins) fits perfectly, there are mysterious sets, good acting, an interesting plot, and a building score. The prestige works well because of the consistent build up of rivalry and desperation. The men begin as naive partners, who break off to find their own place in the magician trade. They then become fierce BUSINESS rivals as they both market the same trick. Angier and Borden then slowly descend into a state of hatred for one another, where they would be willing to KILL for the chance to be the "talk of the town". The two rivals begin to want to not only one-up the other in tricks, but also in their personal lives. I highly recommend picking this up. Not a masterpiece, but a great popcorn film to watch on a rainy day.
  
  
  
  
  

• The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
• Babel
• Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
• The Departed (Widescreen Edition)
• The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)