The magic is in not knowing

Rating: 9/10 (28 February 2007)

The Prestige is for my money, one of the best films on the subject of magic. Christopher Nolan has created a film that, like his earlier film Memento, plays on audience perception. The film is even presented like a magic trick. In magic there is the pledge in which the audience is shown something ordinary. At the start of the film we are shown a trick gone wrong as Hugh Jackman dies, drowning in a glass cage. The turn is where the magician performs the trick. For this film, the turn is the bulk of the storyline as we bounce back and forth through time following Angiers (Jackman) and fellow magician Borden (Christian Bale) as they study and master magic tricks. A tragic accident causes Angiers wife to die and a rivalry to grow between the two magicians. We watch as Angiers grows increasingly obsessed in his search for the secrets of Borden's tricks. Borden in the present tense of the story is on trial and sentenced to hang for Angiers death. Mixing these events, Nolan tantalizes the audience with many sleights of hand which will leave you guessing. It is only the end, or the prestige of the trick that all is revealed and we see how this story has truly played out. While I won't give up the twist, it is a very fun twist that does nothing to dampen the rest of the film. The Prestige is dark to be sure but there have been darker films over the years. Kudos go to Michael Caine, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale for standout performances and to Nolan for a superb script and nuanced direction. Give this one a go.