Good but not good enough

Rating: 7/10 (24 October 2006)

The production is wonderful and the acting very good. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale both do great work here, and Michael Caine is exceptional. Scarlett Johansson is good, too, but she is underused in this male-dominant film. There is a lot of twists and turns, but the problem is, they also give away a lot of clues, right from the beginning shots, so if you have paid attention (and who wouldn't, once you enter the theater knowing you're about to see a mystery/thriller about magic), halfway through you would know how the story is going to end and what is happening. That's the problem with the film. With every great magic trick, you can't tell how it's done even if you look very closely. It's not the case with this film -- it's predictable once you figure it out, and it's not difficult.
It's not to say it's not enjoyable. The crosscutting, non-linear time lines can be confusing at first, but the director is smart enough to leave you visual clues so once you find your marks, the technique is interesting, keeping the twists close to the vest for the audiences. But once again, they leave you enough clues that if you have paid attention, you will figure it out. David Bowie is fun to watch, though -- I didn't even recognize it was him (although I recognize Mr. Gollum). Another problem is that the film focuses on the rivalry and the oneupmanship, and it feels cold. Compared to the Illusionist, which I think is a superb romantic mystery, the story and ending of The Prestige are less than emotionally rewarding. It's like a nice magic trick -- it will leave you giddy, full of wonder and imagination, but ultimately empty emotionally.