Roma Film Festival - the Prestige: ultimately unconvincing

Rating: 6/10 (18 October 2006)

"The Prestige" has everything a film need to be great: two lead actors named Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, for the first time together, a supporting cast including Micheal Caine and Scarlett Johansonn - I felt Johansonn was kind of useless here, though - and the direction of acclaimed Christopher Nolan. Still, it's ultimately unconvincing. Probably it will do big bucks, but don't be fooled by the current 8.5/ 10 user rating: the film's no masterpiece. Sure, it has its high points: great production values, with wonderful costumes and a gorgeous art direction - which succeeded in creating the visionary, sci-fi Victorian age that "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" tried in vain to create with massive digital effects in 2003 - . Most of the performances are strong; the best, in my opinion, is Jackman's. Bale is just a step lower. What didn't convince me is the script. It use a series of cross flashbacks which didn't always work well. The plot, very convoluted, is sometimes repetitive. The "surpise ending" is not that big surprise if you have paid attention. Even if its atmosphere of is definitely dark, with some brutal scenes, the Prestige is nothing other than a magic trick played to the audience: it will entertain you for a while, but will leave you nothing much. Maybe's my fault, but I was expecting much more. My rating is 6/10