Abracadabra ! Skillfullly suspenseful with a strong acting ensemble; Nolan & Nolan make a taut, terrific film-making team

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2006)

THE PRESTIGE (2006) *** Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Samantha Mahurin, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Roger Rees. Absorbing yet predictable tale about two 19th century competitive magicians, one an acclaimed showman (Jackman), the other a dedicated master of the craft (Bale) - who will go at any lengths to top one another in learning each other's secrets and lies at the prestidigitation at hand. Filmmaker Christopher Nolan - who collaborated on the screenplay adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel with his brother Jonathan - expertly weaves a taut tapestry of tension and suspense but for the avid film-goer the 'twists' are all in the open and a tad too obvious. However to the average person this will be a pleasant exercise in edge-of-the-seat suspense and a display of cunningly performed acting by its handsome, dubious leads.