Thrilling, brilliant, and intelligent

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2006)

Christopher Nolan is a magician...a magician of cinema: he gives you the setup and then he surprises you with more than one great illusion one right after the other. Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) are aspiring magicians and friendly rivals until Rupert's wife (Piper Perabo) dies in a freak accident during a magic act. Both men ensue in a deadly and manipulative competition on who is the great illusionist. Angier want obsesses about figuring out a trick Borden has mastered and sets out to beat him in that competition. "The Prestige" is a intelligently written and intense story with a surprising sci-fi kick that will you talking. Excellent performance from the cast especially by the two leads Christian Bale (who is my soul mate and true love) and Hugh Jackman that both deserve Oscar nominations for their performances. Scarlet Johanssen is lovely and sexy as the woman they both love and she is the woman who moves in between them and sees them both for who they really are behind the tricks and illusions. I highly recommend this film and I bow before Christopher Nolan as a director who really knows how to make a thriller. Note: please do not confuse this film with "The Illusionist" whereas "The Illusionist" is a love story "The Prestige" is a true psychological thriller and character study.