Great movie with superb acting

Rating: 10/10 (25 April 2007)

I had heard great things about this film when I rented it. And I have to say that The Prestige was a great movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had so many twists and turns and kept me guessing until the very end! Christian Bale plays Alfred Borden, a gifted magician who's tricks are so mind-boggling that they seem almost impossible to perform. Hugh Jackman plays Robert Angier, an equally talented magician who is good friends with Borden. But one night during a show one of Angier's tricks goes horribly wrong and his wife Julia, played by Piper Perabo, is killed. And Borden is partially blamed for the accident because he tied the ropes on Julia's hands differently. As a result of the accident Angier and Borden become rivals. They show up at each other's shows and make their tricks malfunction. One night Borden performs a trick so mind-boggling and visual that Angier sets out on a quest to find out how exactly he did it. His search for the answer delves him deeper into the mind of Borden and what really happened to his wife during that fateful trick.
The Prestige was also a beautiful movie. The cinematography was excellent and the costumes were stunning. But what really made this movie great was the superb acting. Christian Bale was excellent was Alfred Borden. He spoke with a wonderful English accent. It rolled off his tongue perfectly. He made you love him because he was such a talented magician but he also made you hate him because of the way he treated his wife and the things he done to mess up Angier's tricks. Hugh Jackman is always great in any role he plays. His character Robert Angier was sympathetic and emotional and he made you feel the heartbreak he was going through. You could tell that all he wanted to be was a great magician and that he just wanted his wife back. I loved his character. The always great Michael Caine had a great supporting role as Cutter, Borden and Angier's mentor who taught them how to be the masterminds at magic. Scarlett Johansson was average as Olivia, Angier's assistant who becomes romantically involved with Borden. And Rebecca Hall was great as Sarah, Alfred Borden's neglected wife. Then David Bowie was good as Nicola Tesla, a legend in magic who Angier turned to for advice to be the best magician ever. But I enjoyed all the acting. There wasn't a performance I didn't' like.
The Prestige is a wonderful piece of film-making. It was wonderfully directed, written, and acted. Any fans of Christian Bale or Hugh Jackman should watch this. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm glad I rented this. I truly loved it. And I loved the twist at the end. I was not expecting that and I was enthralled by it. It was superb. This is a great movie. thanks for reading my review!