A "Prestige"ous film

Rating: 8/10 (7 November 2006)

The Prestige is a film, ostensibly, about illusion. But, in truth, it is more about maintaining the illusion at all costs, and how that illusion is used as a tool and excuse for the most destructive and obsessive of behavior. Director Christopher Nolan's follow up to the much heralded Batman Begins, The Prestige is not as good as that film, but it is still an entertaining and, at times, challenging romp.
Set in the waning years of the 1800s, The Prestige focuses on two stage magicians, Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). They are assistants to another magician, learning the craft, but they are both striving to make their own way in the magic world. After an accident during a performance kills Angier's wife (Piper Perabo), and is ostensibly Borden's fault, the two part ways and begin feuding with each other, sabotaging the other's performances in vicious and violent ways in a constant game of one-upsmanship. When Borden reveals his signature trick, dubbed The Transported Man, Angier, along with assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) and ingenieur Cutter (Michael Caine), develop their own version of the trick, but that isn't enough for Angier, who is convinced that Borden is not using the traditional methods for such a trick (the application of a double, Angier's way),and sends Olivia to spy on him, eventually finding himself on a trip to America to discover the truth of Borden's act.
In keeping with Nolan's repertoire to date, The Prestige is a film about individuals who are not the most stable or well-adjusted. These are men who have sacrificed everything, those they love, their health and more to constantly stay one step ahead of the other. The live in a world of illusion, fueled by the desire to keep the other guessing and to hear the thrill of the audience when they have pulled off a good trick. Both Angier and Borden are tragic characters, neither really has much of a bright side, and even when they find some happiness, the pull of their obsession, and other hidden secrets, keep them from enjoying it. You can credit Nolan and his co-writer, brother Jonathan, for not failing to follow this dark subject matter to its eventual conclusion. At the same time, The Prestige is hardly an upbeat film, and these are dark men living dark lives, so it would be easy to see some audience members turned off by the uncompromising nature of this film.
The Prestige falls a little short of fleshing out the relationships with Angier and Borden's significant others, in Angier's case Olivia and for Borden, wife Sarah (Rebecca Hall). There is a little more depth to the Borden/Sarah pairing, as she realizes that as much as she loves him, she will always come second to his magic and feud. The relationship between Angier and Olivia is much more shallow, and Johansson proves to have an almost cameo level role, not making much of an impression in the grand scheme of the film.
For fans of Christopher Priest's novel, the meat of the story is there, but the modern day framing device has been removed. However, the Nolans have maintained one significant aspect of the book, the telling of a majority of the story through one character's reading of the other's notes and journals. Nolan uses this to play with chronology, as he did in Memento, but not to the same degree as in that groundbreaking film, and the audience should have no difficulty following what is happening.
All the actors are in good form, especially Bale and Jackman. They sell the dark feud between these men well, but also their fascination with magic. While Bale has what seems the showier role, Jackman actually stands out greater in this film, playing a role that is a little different than what he has tackled previously. Caine is his usual reliable best as Cutter, a minor character in the novel blown up to a larger part here. The film has a strong, distinguished look that sells the period well, with great cinematography by Wally Pfister.
The Prestige isn't Christopher Nolan's crowning achievement, it is a little under Memento and Batman Begins, but overall it is a good show that is worth enjoying. Just don't believe everything you see.