What a mess

Rating: 1/10 (4 February 2019)

So many characters, so many plot twists, so many relationships, so many secrets and tricks... In the end, we are left feeling bored. This film was clearly designed as an allegory of a magic trick, but it lacks the punch line, or the so-called 'prestige'.
It is never quite clear who is in love with whom in this film, who is angry at whom and why, or why the characters do what they do. Are they just fanatical competitors, or is it all about revenge for what they did in private? You see, it is impossible to grasp the motivation of these characters, because frankly, most of the time their actions are either extremely childish or outright psychotic. Yet the characters are not portrayed as such, so when they act the way they act, one is not quite sure what they are doing.
Also, the script is not only needlessly convoluted, but it is also too lazy for a film that is all about clever tricks. These magicians go to such extreme lengths to fool others, yet the script makes them look dumb whenever it is convenient for the screenwriter. How can these masters of magic manage to never recognize one another, just because they are wearing a fake beard? How come they are fooled by a fake belly and a fake nose? How come they never anticipate the other might try and sabotage their act, and take necessary precautions? There are so many moments where these otherwise super cunning characters act like complete idiots. And that ruins the fun. But what really ruins it for me is that the ending reveals absolutely nothing of any interest, other than things everyone in the audience already knew at that point. Why were these two sabotaging and outdoing each other like this? Guess they were crazy after all. But that is not a satisfying ending.