Nolan's Films Are Nothing Short Of Magic

Rating: 10/10 (30 October 2006)

Cutter (Michael Caine) - Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called "The Pledge"; The magician shows you something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn"; The magician makes his ordinary something do something extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before.
How fitting then that these three acts are exactly what Christopher Nolan presents his audience with in his latest masterpiece "The Prestige." I imagine it must be difficult for critics of Nolan's work to read reviews composed by others where terms like "masterpiece" are substituted for plebeian words such as "movie" or "film." However the simple fact of the matter is that Nolan has a gift for making movies and "The Prestige" is no exception.
Nolan's latest work centers on two rival magicians who set out to steal the secrets of one another's work after a series of unfortunate events have unfolded. But it's not just Nolan who made the film, it was also the cast. Christian Bale continues to reinforce the idea that he is one of the most dedicated and versatile actors of our time. This guy's rise to the top is simply an example of "hard work pays off." He plays his character so well that at times you love him and at others you pity him. The same can be said about Hugh Jackman who goes beyond playing a "mutant with claws." Of course nothing needs to be said of the great Michael Caine but the performance I was most surprised with was that of Scarlet Johansson's. She's come a long way from playing the squeaky and somewhat whiny clone in Michael Bay's "The Island" and succeeded in this movie by passing herself off as both a bright and cheery maiden and a scorned assistant.
The characters themselves stand in a sort of gray area. No one is truly good or truly evil. There is no black and white. This coincided with the idea of "living the act" whereby one of the characters suggests that a true magician is always a magician. On the street, in his home, in front of a crowd or on his own. He must live his entire life as his stage persona if he desires to fool everyone during a performance and with that we are kept guessing as to who the protagonist and antagonist are. "Never reveal your secrets" he says "or they'll never respect you again."
*Spoilers*
I must admit that this film was much darker than I had anticipated. For some reason I felt like the previews led me to believe that I'd be dazzled by magic tricks when in fact the majority of the tricks performed are interfered with by the two on screen rivals. The first words that came to mind when we were presented with a few "truths" behind the tricks of certain magicians were gritty and shocking. We get a first hand look at how magicians were and are often forced to "get their hands dirty" in order to get the standing ovation they seek. This brutal honesty was an effective device employed by Nolan that helped to keep you guessing if they were "going to do that again" as the characters made preparations for their next round of tricks. The film itself is also very thematic often examining the juxtaposition of a pair of concepts. Inventing versus stealing, magic versus science etc..
Cinematographywise enough good things can't be said. The scene where Jackman is standing amidst a field of light bulbs was eye popping and the sets themselves are very convincing. However the most effective trick Nolan has up his sleeve is his signature "flash of memory" shots where as a character speaks of the past we get quick glimpses via rapid flashbacks. Nolan also has a knack for telling stories by placing key plot points out of chronological order and he really pulled out all the stops here. Smart moviegoers may pick up a few things here or there before they are revealed but the entire story is kept well shrouded until the very end.
And what an ending it was. Considering all the praise I've given this film you're probably thinking to yourself "then why a 9 and not a 10?" Well for starters this movie was a tad drawn out. This minor gripe coupled with one other thing are the only complaints I had and that one complaint was the supernatural angle no one saw coming.
I won't go so far as to spoil it completely with specifics, but let's just say that there's a point in the film when the theme of slight of hand versus wizardry or stage magic versus science is meant to be taken literally. This is the film's make or break angle. Once the secret is revealed will you still respect the magician (Nolan) and his trick (The Prestige)? Nolan seems to think so. The ending is great in that it's conclusive or open depending upon your interpretation of the events which have taken place on screen. It is what you make it out to be. It is VERY rare that such an ending exists but the final moments of "The Prestige" are a testament to how conclusions such as these should be pulled off.
According to the film "A real magician tries to invent something new, that other magicians are gonna scratch their heads over." In my opinion the same should ring true for directors and that's certainly the case with "The Prestige." 9/10