The Prestige

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Mystery & Suspense

It isn’t every movie that gets you caught up in a dizzying array of twists and turns. That’s exactly the case in director Christopher Nolan’s latest film, “The Prestige”. Portraying dueling magicians Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale respectively. Though both actors have recently made names for themselves portraying superheroes Wolverine (Jackman) and Batman (Bale), their characters in this film are quite distant from their costumed alter egos. Theirs is a friendship that begins with a shared interest in magic, but degenerates into a deadly rivalry that can only end badly for both men.

In the early stages of the 20th century, magicians are virtual rock stars. Think of the name Harry Houdini and you know where Angier and Borden are coming from. In their desire to improve and perform the ultimate stage illusion, a horrible accident occurs that transforms their friendship into a rivalry, with both men trying to upstage and undermine the other. At the same time, each is bent on ruining the other’s life, caring little for the people who are hurt in the process. Both men seem to consider those as mere “collateral damage” in their hunt for “the greatest magic trick” ever.

As a testament to the excellent acting of Bale, Jackman, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson, one can easily get caught up in the movie’s emotions. The screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan and based on a story by comic writer Christopher Priest, is a tale of obsession that delves into madness, yet also shows (like any great magic trick does) you something you weren't expecting when you entered the cinema. Cameos from Andy “Gollum” Serkis and rock icon David Bowie only add to the film’s entertainment value, as Bowie captures the right amount of quirkiness and pathos associated with real life inventor Nikola Tesla.

Caine explains that every great magic trick has three acts. The first part is the Pledge has the magician showing you something ordinary, which of course, it isn't. The second act is called The Turn, as the magician makes the ordinary do something extraordinary. In the third act, called The Prestige, the part where lives hang in the balance, where you see something you've never seen before.

More than just sleight of hand or water tank tricks, “The Prestige” takes the viewer to the enigmatic illusion dubbed “The Transported Man”, a trick so unbelievable, it can drive a man to madness. as Angier and Borden duel over this illusion, the viewer bears witness to the deadly game of oneupsmanship that they play. The film itself becomes one big illusion. From the pledge, to the turn, the audience is searching for the answers behind the illusion. "That can't have happened, can it?" "There's no way they could do that, could they?" Oh but they can, and they did.

After achieving critical and audience acclaim for “Batman Begins”, many wondered if Christopher Nolan had enough in him to step out of the shadow of the bat and still produce entertaining pictures. If “The Prestige” is any indication, he most certainly does.