The Ultimate Trick!

Rating: Null/10 (15 January 2010)

I had seen this film when it first came out and remembered liking it very much. Now, years later I decided to give it a rewatch, I can definitely say this- what an amazing film. The screenplay is strong, very mysterious and always keeps the audience second-guessing everything. The film is like a never ending maze. It has so many twists and turns, so many layers to it. Christopher Nolan really is a genius. I have considered his finest works Memento and The Dark Knight, but I can say this holds up to those films pretty much in every way. His direction is masterful and elegant. The performances are great, and the tragic rivalry between Angier and Borden and it's outcomes certainly are a great character study for each men. For me, I started with my own view of each character, and thought Angier was in the right from the start. However, as the film goes along, the film itself forces you to change sides and change your whole perspective on the characters. I thought this was really amazing and rarely does a film make you do that. Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson are very good, especially the former. Having seen her here and in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, she seems to be a great actress, and in each film she has outshined the still-talented Johansson. Having seen The Illusionist, I can say this is on a whole other level. The Illusionist was good, but entirely different besides the magician perspective. The Prestige is a perfect example of why we see films. We want to be entertained, we want to be mesmerized, and we want to be tricked and enchanted by the whole world a film brings you into. The Prestige is the ultimate trick!