Are you watching closely?....

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2013)

At the end of the Nineteenth Century, Robert Angier, his wife Julia and Alfred Borden are friends and assistants of a magician.
When Julia accidentally dies during a performance, Robert blames Alfred for her death and they become antagonists to each other.
Both become famous magicians, sabotaging the performance of the other on the stage. When Alfred performs a successful trick, Robert becomes obsessed trying to disclose the secret of his competitor with tragic consequences.....
Easily Nolan's most underrated movie, it's also one of his best, because he is literally playing a magic trick on the audience, as further viewings prove that he is putting the film on screen, just how Caine explains the magic trick in the opening voice over.
And once you realise this, you see just how clever the narrative and the editing is. We see Bales alter ego several times throughout the film, much like Tyler Durden in the opening minutes of Fight Club, and this is Nolan's sleight of hand to the audience.
But the fundamental thing about the film is obsession, and how far one will go to find the ultimate answer to several questions. You give up love, life, and even sanity, to pursue your goal.
The two leads are as fantastic as always, Johanssen is very poor, Michael Caine is as reliable as ever, and Bowie eerie looks and sounds like Pierce Brosnan.
But the prestige part of this film, is that it has a wonderful ending, and you won't see it coming. Its one of those films, like seven, or the sixth sense, that will never have the same affect on you like it did the first time.
Wonderful.