Nolan deceives and delights once again.

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2006)

Christoper Nolan is a daring, confident and wholly respected director whose cult classic "Memento" single handedly established his place in film history. Batman Begins multiplied his fan base, and fired him deep into mainstream recognition with its back to basics, brooding style. Nolan gave Batman the rebirth everyone desired and with it came one of the most widely praised comic book movies of all time. Before cracking on with The Dark Knight, Nolan returned to a project in the making for some time, co-written with his brother Jonathan. Entitled The Prestige the story follows the intense, dangerous rivalry between two turn of the century magicians, adapted from the book by Christopher Priest. After a return to conventional structure with Batman, The Prestige proves a welcome return to the "What?, Where?, Why?" syndrome Memento fans embraced. While the timeframe is fractured, the viewer is not plagued with quite the same sense of disorientation; The Prestige is an accessible conundrum of clues and red herrings working together towards the inevitable final grand reveal.
On the whole the film is a confident, superbly acted period drama with a unique style that ensures it never quite feels like one. The script is meticulously constructed to mirror the three so called acts of the magic trick, Michael Caine's narration is as warm and welcome as ever. The film does a wonderful job in the first half of conveying the joy (and danger) of the art of the magic trick, effortlessly drawing up a world of misdirection and intrigue as the two protagonists begin to build up a dangerously bitter rivalry, it soon becomes apparent that obsession is the key here. As Bale's Borden is coldly enveloped by his professional career, Jackman's Angier turns increasingly desperate to uncover the others secrets, we realise that this is a deadly, unforgiving pursuit that is quickly spiraling out of control. For the majority of the film we see little of the "magic" that wows the theatre audience to whom the act is presented , everything is carefully constructed so our view of each trick is based on the mechanical means by which it is achieved. While you might expect the film to work on the principal of showing you the trick then stunning you with the explanation, this is not the case. Everything is on an emotional level, inside Borden and Angier's lives and minds; this is ultimately a psychological drama.
The words "Are you looking closely" open the film, good advice for a narrative so tightly convoluted; it is this that will divide audiences. Some will click into the right frame of mind and see the twists coming a mile off and may or may not be disappointed by them. Others will soon forget the warning and settle in for the ride, open to Nolan's misguidance. Either way the final revelations are not quite as ingenious as you might expect, they are certainly not completely unpredictable. Of course the important thing is, are they satisfying? It is a debatable issue, after the initial irritation upon recollection of the multitude of seemingly obvious clues littering the running time your mind may be divided upon how well you take the finale. One revelation even flips the whole genre of the piece on its head, sure to horrify some viewers and please others. This is an ambitious film unafraid of dividing audiences through some unconventional choices.
One thing is clear, it is the themes and characters that will stay with you the longest, the multi-layered trickery Nolan reveals may be diverting but is certainly not the pictures crowing glory. As Angier drops down the hatch, for his drunken, vastly entertaining "double" to rise the other side of the stage, the camera stays down below with the anguished Angier, desperate to crack the puzzle as the roar of applause is heard just out of his reach. It is a scene that perfectly encapsulates the dilemma he faces, driving him to ever more extreme methods in his obsessive quest to outdo Borden. Visually the film is nigh on flawless, not too ambitious but very distinct. The scenes where Angier visits the pioneering scientist Tesla (a distinctly odd, somewhat amusing performance from David Bowie) on his snowy mountain top are beautifully shot.
In the end the two lead characters are so swallowed up in their own ambitions that it is difficult to identify or sympathise with either of them. This is perhaps the films biggest flaw, it is a little too weird, a little too cold. The unique atmosphere certainly secures its place in your memory for weeks to come, the mechanical approach fascinating, but ultimately a little unengaging. The true test will come upon multiple viewings. Will knowing the surprises detract from the mystery? Or will the fascinating psychoanalysis shine through to ensure the film holds up? Only in time can we conclude whether this ascends beyond intrigue towards classic Nolan.
8/10