Enjoyable but Far-fetched

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2006)

The Prestige is directed by Christopher Nolan and takes place in late Victorian London. The movie is enjoyable but just a little disappointing given the ecstatic reviews. Hugh Jackman (Robert Angier) and Christian Bale (Alfred Borden) play two competing magicians who start out as colleagues and end up as deadly rivals. It's set at a time when stage magicians were well paid and treated like rock stars. Angier is a smooth and polished American with considerable stage presence. Bale is a driven blue-collar type with brilliant and original ideas. Both become obsessed with their rivalry. Jackman enlists the help of Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) to develop the ultimate magic trick. Unfortunately the results are unbelievable and spoil the movie.
The acting is top-notch with a number of scene stealing performances. Cutter (Michael Caine) helps both men at the start of their careers and later becomes a mentor to Jackman. Scarlett Johansson plays a beautiful assistant who sleeps with both men and ends up disliking both of them.
Jackman and Bale play ambitious Faustian characters willing to sell their souls to be the better magician. It's difficult to accept that two intelligent and rational humans could believe that their quest is worth the pain and sacrifice they inflict on others. Ultimately both characters seem flawed and somewhat delusional.