A wonderful flick filled with tricks

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2007)

It's always nice to see a director-actor duo collaborate in successive projects, especially when they can be removed from the massive studio work situation that surrounds a film like Batman Begins, which is where we find Nolan and Bale, filling in time between Bat films. A subsequent pairing allows the director and actor to further their relationship and speak in a kind of shorthand, bringing their collaboration to new heights. Think of Scorcese-DeNiro and Scorcese-DiCaprio, or Spike Lee-Denzel Washington for examples of this.
The term relationship is key, as The Prestige centers around the relationships the characters have with each other and what is perceived as their connective tissue plays both within and beyond the film. The audience is placed in a very strategic position of both knower and seeker of knowledge, and like a good magic trick, it is what we perceive and expect that will equally guide us and trick us towards the final act, or what is referred to in magic circles, as "The Prestige".
Nolan's previous work (Memento, Following, Insomnia) has built upon his manipulation of audience engagement with film texts, and tweaking our sophisticated knowledge as viewers in such a way that our work as an audience helps propel the film as we are forced to guess, then second guess our preconceived notions of where his films are headed. Without recognizing our intelligence as an audience, the film would have no place to go.
The psychology of Nolan's films are like that of a masterful storyteller, akin to Robertson Davies' Fifth Business set of novels. The make up and structure of the medium, whether it is writing or film-making, or magic tricks, is key to the enjoyment of the medium's content. We are well aware as we watch The Prestige, how the film unfolds in three acts, exactly as the magic pieces are described in the film. It is both a pleasure to behold on a story level, as well as a film level. Technically, it is parlaying exactly what it is being mystically told as the plot develops. This movie is a classic example why film schools exist.
Without giving too much away, this film is a pleasure on many levels, and worth subsequent viewings to fully appreciate and explore. The cast is perfect, as Bale and Jackman play two anti-heroes, whose sides we can easily assume or oppose, depending on how one reads the film and the characters' motives. Johansson plays a wonderful femme fatale, who we never can quite trust. Is she part of the illusion, or the only source of truth? Where does Caine's character's loyalties lie? His performance may perhaps be the best of the bunch, another testament to how prior work with a director leads to greater performances in their own ability to work in shorthand with each other.
If you can't tell by my tongue tied review, this film has volumes to speak about. Another thought provoking piece to add to Nolan's young but impressive resume.
Grade: A