The Prestige

Rating: 7/10 (29 August 2010)

In a period story full of plot twists and lengthy flashbacks, two friends and stage magicians called Robert Angier and Alfred Borden (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) start growing apart after a tragic accident during a show results in the death of Angier's wife. Both are keen on constantly one-upping each other's best tricks and dedicate themselves to their careers with the help of their loyal engineers who design new tricks for them. So tough is their competition that even family and lovers become secondary to them... Who will ultimately gain the upper hand in the battle of the two masterminds?
The direction, cinematography and acting are all work of professionals. The dark visual style is skilfully created and the two leads are convincing, if a bit polished, in their roles. Of the supporting actors, the always good Michael Caine keeps stealing the show as usual, but Scarlett Johansson fits in her role of Angier's double-crossing assistant decently too. The complex narrative may seem unnecessarily twist-driven for its own good, but in the end the most interesting aspects of the film lie under the surface of the turns and revelations.
As the story advances, the style becomes less and less interested in realism. After the introduction of the famous real-life inventor Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), elements of science fiction are introduced to the mix and strict demands of believability are better forgotten. The identities of the magicians, the difference between their acts and realities and the nature of their rivalrous friendship start becoming blurry and provide the actual meat of the film experience, as opposed to the less-than-credible plot turns that don't always feel quite right in the world of the story.
While I feel the overall atmosphere could have been grittier and more down-to-earth, The Prestige provides a fairly absorbing tale of the effect of obsession on one's mind. Nolan has examined the theme of hidden or otherwise unclear identities in his other films too, so The Prestige easily fits in his body of work and fans of his style will enjoy it without a doubt. Personally I would like to see Nolan return to more small-scale cinema where the underlying themes wouldn't be buried under the need to wow the audience with constant spectacle, but in the meanwhile his big films are among the best output modern Hollywood has to offer in any case.