synopsis

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2006)

Surprisingly, the Prestige kept my attention until the end. I thought it would be a decent movie but it definitely was better than I thought it would be. The basic plot surrounds two magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). The two start out working together but end up enemies after Angier's wife dies following a botched magic trick. Angier blames Borden for his wife's death claiming Borden tied the wrong knot that led to the drowning of his wife. Borden goes on to start a family and a solo magic act. He creates a trick I'll call "the reappearing man" where he bounces a ball then walks through a door and reappears through another door about 20 feet away and grabs the ball as it bounces past the 2nd door. Angier, who with the help of Cutter (Michael Caine) and Olivia (Scarlett Johansson-basically only used for sex appeal), creates a magic act as well. After watching one of Borden's shows, Angier is convinced that Borden uses a machine to transport himself from one door to the other. Despite Cutter's insistence that Borden uses a double, Angier becomes obsessed with discovering Borden's secret. The rest of the movie follows Angier and his devotion to figuring out the secret to Borden's most popular trick. The climax of the movie is filled with several compelling twists and turns and ultimately some unanswered questions. Overall, this was an above average thriller that was able to incorporate magic in a semi-believable way. SPOILER:
For example, it was unclear whether Borden really had a twin or if he too, like Angier, was able to duplicate himself using the machine Tesla created.