Confusingly told story of two disagreeable rivals.

Rating: 6/10 (25 June 2007)

Although the story is great, and the end-twist, i.e, no magic at all, is fabulous, the Prestige gets lost in the confusing manner in which it is told (exactly just like Memento; I do not understand that the same director who after all those unsuccessful attempts gave the Batman series a worthy movie, gets lost for the second time in his own story-telling).
The many flashbacks, different views, diaries and all, lead to a sort of loss of sense for which you either have to watch the movie all over to check whether you got it right and whether the director has made any mistakes, or you just settle with what you have grasped the first time- a somewhat messy account of - to tell you the truth- uninteresting events.
The feud between the two magicians is, frankly speaking, quite flat. Both are so annoying and dislikable, that you can't help but think that it would be in the general interest of mankind if both would perish. I am usually not this cruel, bit I certainly could not identify or sympathize with either.
The good things include the somewhat dark perspective (the part with David Bowie and his experiments really can get you some goose bumps if you are inclined to get some), and the end with all those clones dead is quite eerie as well. So the feeling had it going. The character of Scarlett Johansson had much unnecessary screening time.
The Prestige is really entertaining, but I am generally opposed to films and plots that are supposed to have "meaning" and something to say, but are nothing but an optical illusion themselves. This is clearly the case with the Prestige- one admirable and great idea (that of the no-tricks) is exploited to its uttermost, all marrow sucked out of its bones. The rest is illusion.