Nolan performs a great illusion with this one

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2017)

Set around the turn of the 20th century, this tale focuses on two highly skilled magicians. The pair begin working together but when a tragic event occurs by way of a professional mistake committed by one of the men, both of them end up in a rivalry that increases in negativity after one of them performs a trick which seems to have no logical explanation. This leads both magicians down a road laced with envy and obsession. The ultimate destination is the greatest trick ever but at what cost?
I think this could very well be Christopher Nolan's best film after Memento (2000). It's very clever and plays upon cinema's inherent ability of creating an illusion. The whole story here in many ways is an elaborate magic trick. Like the best illusions it works because of subtle sleight of hand and misdirection which fools the audience until we are given the payoff. The final reveal seems to have been a little controversial with some considering its sci-fi underpinnings a cheat but which I thought was ultimately satisfying in that it emphasised the tragic nature of the obsession that led the magician to create his greatest ever trick. Told in three separate time-lines, this is quite a layered story that benefits from a re-watch. As in Memento, Nolan never cheats the audience and lays out all the clues in front of us but his skill as a director means that most of us don't piece them together until the finale. It's quite a skill to do this and is testament to Nolan's ability as a very cerebral film-maker. Aside from Nolan's technical and creative input, this one works because it has high calibre actors to draw us in, with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale adding the emotional intensity in the roles of the warring magicians, while Michael Caine provides the heart as their one-time mentor. Add to this the great historical detail and production design and the result is a period-set film with a very modern feel. If I had to add a criticism it would be the introduction of the actor who was a dead-ringer for Jackman – this felt to me to be a little too unbelievable and convenient. But aside from minor gripes such as this, I found this to be a very clever and involving bit of work.