Pros: Great story-line and performances; outstanding direction.
Cons: Hard to wrap your mind around at first...
The Bottom Line: In the final analysis The Prestige is a complicated intelligent tale that genuinely beguiles and entertains.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot. According to The Prestige (2006) there is difference between a magician and a wizard; the former entertains with gimmickry, while a wizard is a true master of magic. The Prestige deals with the magician and is an altogether confusing movie that moves forward and backwards in time too incoherently to create a cogent story.
The Story
Co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, Insomnia, Momento), The Prestige is hard to wrap your mind around at first. The story centers on magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman – X-Men, Van Helsing, The Fountain), and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale – American Psycho, Batman Begins, 3:10 to Yuma). The two are arch-rivals who used to be associates.
They became bitter enemies and rivals after Borden caused the drowning death of Angier’s wife Julie (Piper Perabo – The Cave, Coyote Ugly) by playing with the trick that she was part of. After her death the two magicians spar trying each trying to one-up the other’s performance. After Borden creates a trick called The Transported Man Angier becomes obsessed with finding the secret of the trick. He sends his assistant and lover Olivia (Scarlett Johansson – Lost in Translation, Girl With the Pearl Earring, A Love Song for Bobby Long) to spy on Borden and ascertain his secrets, but she resents being used and ends up having an affair with the married Borden.
Things continue to tumble out of control after Borden’s wife Sarah (Rebecca Hall – Wild Sargasso Sea) hangs herself after learning of her husband’s dalliance with Olivia, and Borden is accused of killing Angier.
My Thoughts
As I stated at the outset, The Prestige is altogether confusing at the beginning. That is because the movie time travels extensively from the present to the past and back again with such fluidity, one will quickly become lost unless one is paying very close attention. Think Momento wherein the movie winds backwards through the narrative; after all both movies were directed by Nolan.
At first this smooth slide in time-lines doesn’t play well with the mind, but halfway through the movie all of the pieces start to come together to form a well crafted whole. And there are surprises hidden amidst the magical interplay; indeed most come near the end of the movie but they are big. While The Illusionist (2006) relies on special effects to tell a lot of its story, The Prestige takes us into the underbelly of world of magic and musician showmanship; the movie takes some of the wonder out the field, but that’s not all bad.
Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman do a masterful job as the dueling magicians, while Michael Caine turns in a fine performance as Cutter the engineer behind Angier‘s magic. And David Bowie deserves mention as Nikola Tesla one of the pioneers of AC power generation at the turn of the 19th century.
In the final analysis The Prestige is a complicated intelligent tale that genuinely beguiles and entertains.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
