Seeing is Believing

Rating: 8/10 (22 October 2006)

The ability to fool a large group of people. The power to force someone into seeing something. The art of illusion. Illusionists, magicians, no matter what they are called they consider themselves one thing; performers. To be the best means to work the hardest and to commit fully to an act. Sometimes, the illusion becomes too real.
How far will someone go for power? How much is enough? How far are you willing to go? In turn of the century London, filmmaker Christopher Nolan brings answers these questions and brings us into a world full of betrayal, murder, and of course, magic. Two rival magicians vie for power to see who really is the best. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) along with his associate Cutter (Sir Michael Caine) are puzzled by Robert's former colleague's latest trick. Alfred (Christian Bale) has unveiled a brilliant new illusion that defies expectation. Robert's assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) is willing to do anything for him, even infiltrate Alfred's act.
This feuding was the result of a trick gone wrong involving Robert's wife. Alfred appeared to be the one to blame and Robert never let it go. Rather than leaving the past behind, the two go back and forth to try and out perform the other on stage and off. What was once a friendship has turned into an all out war of secrets. Robert, who will give anything to outsmart his competitor, travels all the way to America to seek the help of a scientist and pull off the amazing trick his own way.
Nolan after the success of Batman Begins reunites with Bale and Caine to tackle a new setting. Nolan's previous works of notoriety, Memento and Insomnia, all have a similar edge to them. The Prestige is not different. The storyline is jumpy, going from present to the beginning, to the middle, and all over the place. Pieced together, the flow makes sense and is a joy to undertake.
With a solid script from Nolan and his brother Jonathon, all that was needed was a cast. Academy Award winner Caine, along with Jackman, Bale, Johansson, and a cameo by David Bowie, make The Prestige marvelous. Exceptional performances by Jackman and Bale make the rivalry intense and exciting.
The story strictly speaking is superb. The Nolan brothers have delivered once again. Their style and flow are truly original. It is hard to jump around in a film and pass on the message and information as cleanly as possible. The story leads up to a dramatic and climactic ending that will not soon be forgotten.
The Prestige is not a run of the mill birthday magic show. It is a fantastic voyage into the realm of magic, both the light the dark sides.