Suspenseful, stylish and intelligent.

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2013)

I was quite interested to see The Prestige, I don't see how you couldn't be with such a great cast and director attached to it. The premise is what completely sold me. I don't think there's enough movies about magic, it can be bad if not done right, but when it's done right I just fall in love, it's just such an interesting subject. The Prestige is a magic movie done right. I love it.
The film is about two magicians referred to as Angier and Borden, the two men were once partners and good friends, but after a horrible accident their relationship quickly fades. They're both both brilliant magicians, but Angier knows how to present himself and his tricks with style, and Borden doesn't. Borden is smarter then Angier however, and he constructs the most brilliant trick Angier has ever seen. Angier becomes obsessed with finding out the logic behind his trick, so he himself can perform this trick with the style that he is able to present with, making him the better magician.
One thing that The Prestige does well with is magic, which you would expect from a film about magic but some films about magic don't get the whole thing right. What The Prestige does to make magic work well in the film is give logic behind the tricks, if it didn't do that the film would be nowhere near as good as it is. It just adds an extra layer of quality to the film.
What I loved the most about The Prestige however was it's story and characters. The story is written with skill and intelligence, it's mind bending and sometimes challenging, but not to the point where you're lost and uninterested as the twists and turns start happening, you just need a good attention span to get the story. The film makes you think, but it never goes overboard with its complexity. The characters of the film are very interesting and believable. I found myself stuck as to who I was rooting for throughout the film, which one was actually the good guy, or even if either of them are the good guy. This is obviously the sign of well written characters.
These well written characters would be pointless however if the characters weren't well portrayed. Luckily in this case, they are very well portrayed. Everyone in the film is great, can't really fault anyone if I'm honest. I'd say the best out of the bunch was Christian Bale (Borden) though, but Hugh Jackman (Angier) was still very good nevertheless. Even all the supporting actors give above average performances in the film.
The film nails a really great tone throughout. It has a consistent atmosphere all the way through, it's dark and mysterious. The film is a period piece, and its sets and costumes really capture the feeling of the time. The striking cinematography is also a big help to that too.
The Prestige is another brilliant mind bender from Christopher Nolan. If you're a fan of Nolan I'm sure you'll be pleased with this fantastic film.