Absolutely engrossing.

Rating: 9/10 (17 July 2008)

The Prestige is a rare film in its own right for the simple fact that it completely engrosses the audience into the story for nearly the entire 130 minute running time and refuses to let go until the finale is revealed. What starts out simple enough turns into a story so complex and layered, it requires multiple viewings to catch everything. First off, the acting must be convincing to keep the audience paying attention, which it pulls off tremendously. Hugh Jackman carries his role very well, Michael Caine is a pleasure to watch, and Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson also hold their own. The best performance, though, is that of Christian Bale, who also plays the most volatile and eccentric character. Every scene he is in he dominates and it is pretty difficult to pay attention to anything but him.
As the story unfolds, we find out a rivalry has come between Jackman and Bale, and they continue to sneak into each other's shows as well as pull dirty tricks in order to learn the other's secrets and ruin him. This is the bulk of the film, and the last 20-30 minutes try and bring everything to light. Many fans have argued that this film cheats with its climax and that director/co-writer Christoper Nolan does this to duck out of anything to complicated or difficult. Those who do, however, are looking at it all wrong. Nolan gives us even more questions after the film concludes, and it takes multiple viewings to understand all the interactions and motivations of each character. Even after you may understand what actually occurred in the story, questions will still raise in your mind about the clarity and realism of these conclusions.
In short, this is a near-masterpiece from one of the most talented directors this generation. Nolan is working with incredible powers of the cinema here. The entire plot is told completely out of order, yet it is never confusing or convoluted. Everything here holds up, and while questions certainly will be raised about the nature of the story, no one can doubt the undeniable storytelling ability of Christopher Nolan. It is mostly for entertainment, but it also shows what bitter hatred and obsession with revenge can do to a man. This is truly film making at its finest art form.