Even better than the book!

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2006)

Christopher Nolan has once again outdone himself. He has taken a tale that has already received international acclaim and boldly changed it into something even more spectacular. For once I was not disappointed that I had read the book before seeing the movie. Although the book is also great, this film makes a few minor changes to the story that have a major impact on how this movie works. The pace is changed up quite nicely and doesn't follow the same linear format of the book. There are also some new tricks introduced that are very pleasing to the eye as well as the mind. Most importantly, the movie does a great job starting the rivalry off with clear reasoning, which the book, although stated very plainly, was still a little bit ambiguous and confusing. The roles are brilliantly cast and Christian Bale in particular does a stand-out job as the cold, calculating, and very one-dimensional Borden. Much like a good magic trick, this movie will astound you with it's secrets and will have you thinking about it long after the credits start rolling. Even as someone who had read the book and thought he knew all the secrets - I must admit I was mystified and just as caught up in it as everyone around me. The Prestige is true movie magic!