Abracadabra!

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2018)

The Prestige' tells the tale of two rival magicians at the turn of last century who constantly try to outdo each other at every turn. The premise may sound a little so-so, but, trust me, the finished product is anything but. It's magic. First of all it's a Christopher Nolan film - a writer/director who is one of the most respected and profitable working today. But, no matter how well he does in the director's chair, it's the cast who make it what it is.
I know that the term 'assemble cast' is normally associated with films like 'The Avengers' where every major character is a star in their own right, but 'The Prestige' isn't far off attaining this label. The two magicians in question are played by Christian 'Batman' Bale and Hugh 'Wolverine' Jackman and, obviously, the film focuses in on them. However, there's plenty of extra acting talent supporting their personal grievances with each other, namely Michael Caine, David Bowie, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall - all of which play their parts to perfection no matter how much screen time they're given.
It's really a story about obsession - how two men start off as friends, but, through a string of unfortunate events (and the desire never to share a stage and be 'the best' in their own rights!) they dedicate their lives to outdo each other, no matter how much it costs them. There's a fair amount of tragedy to the tale as both men suffer blows to their personal life in pursuit of their quests for revenge (and to introduce the perfect magic trick to their audiences) and you can't help but feel for them on more than one occasion.
I really would recommend 'The Prestige' to anyone wanting to watch a truly great modern classic. However, if I was to try and find a few flaws in it, I'd probably warn people that it's hardly fast-paced and quite long compared to the average ninety minute runtime. Plus the story does bounce around in time, meaning you'll see the end first and find yourself having the middle narrated by one character, before popping back to the beginning and finding a different member of the cast telling you what's happening. It does work, but it will force you to concentrate on what time period you're watching (check your phone at your peril and you may run the risk of becoming totally confused!).
However, perhaps my personal only gripe with the film was that all the way through I thought it was based in reality. The magicians are just that - tricksters like any other stage show act you'd see today. However, without straying into 'spoiler territory' I have to warn you that this film's genre ends up being 'science fiction.' But, if you know what you're watching you should really get quite a lot out of this film on many levels.