Solid drama lacks suspense

Rating: 5/10 (21 October 2006)

Methinks Christopher Nolan is letting his personal style get in the way of a good story. Nolan is a very good director, and a good writer on top of that, yet it seems that he has become overly-reliant on his signature use of chronology to make a movie. There are also far too many scenes in which the actors whisper or speak in hushed voices, a device that leads to lost dialog if you're in a packed theater or in a theater that has an incompetent sound system operator.
The Prestige is a wonderfully unusual story about the rivalry and deadly history of two magicians at the turn of the century. Entertainment venues were very limited in that era so the attainment of star status was not only lucrative and coveted, it bestowed a good deal of social acceptance when class divisions were well marked. The tension of this rivalry against this backdrop is good fodder for a film, and teamed with complex personalities all around, romance, secrets, a criminal trial, and the dawn of new technological advances should have made a movie of grand entertainment. But, for me, all the suspense was drained and the drama diluted by Nolan's flashback, flash forward technique. Suspense requires time and pacing, a hum that builds slowly to a crescendo that gives you goose bumps or, at the least, makes you feel the hair on your arms. The potential was there, but Nolan interrupted the ascent too many times to gather momentum. Just as I was feeling the gnawing obsession of Angier, I was bumped to a vignette that re-adjusted my focus. And when I became involved with Borden's life, I got bumped to Thomas Edison. Nolan would not allow me to become completely invested in his characters because he simply didn't give me enough quality time with them despite their continuous presence on-screen. There is also one large plot hole that disrupts a major theme of the story.
The Prestige has a nearly perfect cast. At this point in his career, Michael Caine has become so ubiquitous that, to me, he is always Michael Caine, a competent actor who overshadows his characters with his familiarity. He should think about changing his accent and/or his hair color if he continues to hire on so frequently. Bale, Jackman, and Bowie are quite the opposite, playing characters new to their resumes and doing so exquisitely. I've come to expect great performances from Bale and Jackman, but Bowie startled me with his acting chops. Scarlet Johanssen, not a favorite of mine as she has been a bland and flat canvas to date, actually shows some dimension in her supporting role.
A nicely done drama in which the sum is far less than many of its superior parts.