Magic Act!

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2006)

The Prestige opens with a mysterious shot of multiple black top hats, strewn across a snow filled clearing. This shot is eventually explained, but rarely does Nolan waste a shot in this film  and rarely will it make complete sense until much later.
Although The Prestige may be based on a novel, it was a novel that contained the fragmented narrative-style employed to demonstrate Leonard's anterograde amnesia in Nolan's earlier, similarly brilliant Memento. This time it's used to construct a plot in parallel with the 3 acts of magic: the pledge, the turn and the titular prestige. Superb editing creates a film analogous to its subject matter; cuts masking scenes' hidden importance at perfect moments.
As if that wasn't enough narrative deceit, Priest's source novel gives us two unreliable narratives in the form of Borden's and Angier's diaries. Apart from making the plot as thick as overcooked porridge; this creates the audience to guess  as if we were watching an actual illusionist. To complete the experience Nolan gives us several shots from the audience's viewpoint  effectively leading to viewing the film being very, very much alike to real stage magic.
Angier and Borden create an intriguing air of duality throughout the movie, and it's helped in no small part by a palpable chemistry between Jackman and Bale. Angier has wonderful stage presence, but less vision; Borden is a terrible showman, but is teeming with raw talent and a dangerous determination. Their obsession over their different performance of the same trick leads to an increasingly horrifying battle of wills between the two: with the men's wives, a shared girlfriend and even a daughter bearing the burden of the conflict. Cleverly, this is mirrored by two real-life figures in the film: Bowie's questionably-accented but appropriately-odd Nikola Tesla; and a talked about, malevolent Thomas Edison.
The credits are abundant in big names and, as expected of a Nolan film, are predominantly British (which helps with the rest of the accents). Jackman reeks of vengeful malice; but Bale prevails as the most-watchable lead. Every syllable is mesmerizingly arrogant and intense  Bale is certainly one of the best British actors in cinema today. The real star of the show (in contrast to his role in the film) is Michael Caine however. It is a fantastic anchoring performance, as an associate of both magicians. His wizened, world-weary tones open and close the film (an explanation of the 3 acts)  and his crucial role gives moral reassurance in a troubling climax. Rebecca Hall gives a superior performance as Borden's neglected wife, and Andy Serkis is solid (and not a CGI creature!); but Johansson unfortunately falls short of her usual standards.
The cast are provided with strongly authentic costumes and settings, perfectly evoking Victorian England. A good sense of the exciting advances in science is provided by the film, especially when Angier and Borden both visit a science fair for inspiration (which also features the introduction  chronologically  of Tesla). These scientists also suggest the decline of stage magic that ensued in the electrical era of today: indeed one announces that "this is the future".
The Prestige is Nolan's fifth feature film, and is further proof of his already-sealed status as a fabulous British talent. It is an elegantly-told tale: it may be a period-piece  but it is a tour-de-force of intelligent film-making; and a firm contender for the 2006 Oscar-race.