A confusing mess

Rating: 2/10 (20 October 2006)

A great disappointment. Save your money and skip this movie. Two rival magicians appear to be one trick ponies. An audience will easily guess the secret behind their apparent magic. The romantic entanglements are entirely unconvincing. Interweaving of characters, the movie viewer never knowing for sure who is who, leaves the film-goer in a muddle. In the end, it is not worth working out the details. A waste of my time, and yours if you see it.
Actors are all fine. A bitter rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Edison over direct current or alternating current as the best means of transmitting electricity has just a bit of a mention without all the drama it took in real life. Tesla surprisingly well portrayed by David Bowie. Edison does not appear but sends thugs to burn down Tesla's laboratory. (Highly unlikely.) Too bad the writers did not see fit (or did NOT know) to show the first use of AC in the electric chair to execute condemned criminals was touted by the Edison camp as showing how dangerous AC current was. I would certainly have written this into the script as it would fit nicely with the plot as it developed.
I liked "The Illusionist" better as a film about magicians performing on stage, a better portrayal of the Victorian era, and a much better love story. This film never revealed the secret of the magician's tricks, a far better decision thins in "The Prestige".