Great film

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2007)

I've been a fan of Nolan for a long time, ever since Memento. He has the ability to create mood and deep, well rounded characters better than almost anyone in the thriller genre, ever. For my money, only Hitchcock was better. And the Prestige was something worthy of the Master himself. Its is a dark, twisty, surreal film that truly goes unexpected places. Nothing is what it seems. And Nolan manages to pull of the twists, turns and surprises expertly, never once make a jump in logic that you don't take with him without question. The acting is phenomenal, Bale, Jackman and Caine are all excellent. But it is Jackman who owns this film. Between this and The Fountain (which I still don't know if I liked or not) he has really come into his own as an actor. Its a shame he was completely ignored at awards time this year. Towards the end of the year, there were some truly great films, but this is unquestionably the best. Its a well paced, thoughtful, intricate thriller that is better written than almost anything I have seen in years. Nolan is one of the most talented directors of his generation, something he continues to prove film after film. Howmany of todays "franchise" directors take a break in the middle of a superhero franchise to make a moody, dark period thriller about dueling magicians? The man is a master, only a notch below Hitchcock himself, and this film is his masterwork, so far.