Magic Done Right

Rating: 8/10 (10 July 2012)

The Prestige is a complicated thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. A magician, Alfred Borden(Christian Bale), is in jail for murdering a rival, Robert Angier(Hugh Jackman). Both were working with Milton and his sidekick, John Cutter(Michael Caine). During a magic act with Angier's wife, Julia, she drowned, and Borden was blamed for using the wrong knot when tying her up.
The two become enemies, sabotaging each others acts. Angier ruins Borden's bullet catch, which costs him two fingers, and Borden pays Angier back by wrecking his bird act, which injures a member of the audience.
Borden comes up with the transported man, where he enters one cabinet and comes out another. Angier copies it by hiding under the stage. He finds Nikola Tesla(David Bowie)and has him build a real transportation machine. Thomas Edison sends some people to burn the lab, and Tesla warns Angier to destroy the device. Of course, the inventor is ignored, and this leads us to a big surprise ending, which worked for me. Nolan uses beautiful sets with intricate tricks and excellent acting, all around. The Prestige is a top notch mystery.