A tale of misdirection, bitter rivalry and incapability to deal with loss

Rating: Null/10 (16 April 2013)

What I've always admired about Christopher Nolan is his ability to make even the most extraordinary tales and people seem believable. Here we have a story about two stage magicians, set in the late 19th century - or possibly the early 20th - where they try to outdo each other with outlandish magic tricks and performances. Throw in some scifi elements, or at least storytelling aspects, near the end and you have a tale that's very out there. But it's told very close to earth, with identifiable characters, none of which is the outright villain or even the protagonist. The story is mainly told from Angier's (Hugh Jackman) perspective, but there are bits here and there that show us the viewpoint of Borden (Christian Bale), which keeps the story grounded and allow us to see that that neither of these men are completely right in their quest for revenge and recognition. One can of course argue in either direction, but the matter of the fact is that both of them were given the chance to stop, but they didn't take it, which allows the story to exist, yes, but which also makes it a bitter one.
So that's one aspect that absolutely works. There are many more, such as the characters themselves, or perhaps I should say the main duo, Angier and Borden. The rest of the cast isn't bad - with Michael Caine being the everlasting beacon of solid performing - but Jackman and Bale are the main attraction of this film. They work off each other beautifully and they truly took these characters and ran with them.
Add in some real twists and genuine surprises and you have one of those timeless stories in your hands. This is a story that could be told over and over again in many forms, and it'd still work. It has great themes, clearly defined acts and above all else it's captivating. Still, given the magician aspect, I believe that it works in the given time period perfectly and the late 19th century is showcased beautifully.
So what doesn't work, you might ask? Well, most of it does work, but as I stated, there are some slight leanings towards science fiction near the end, which I thought were unneeded or at least distracting. They do allow for the story to reach its logical conclusion and give us some really disturbing scenes, but it's still weird to see such stuff in a film where there were none before. A deliberate choice in this case, true, but it doesn't come off as well as it should. Still, more of a matter of taste than a real flaw.
All in all I really like this film. It's solid from start to finish, with great characters and even greater story. One of Nolan's better ones and that's saying something.