Okay-Good

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2007)

Two Magicians Angier (Jackman) and Borden (Bale) who were once friends now are intent on destroying the other by learning each others' magic secrets. Sounds like this will be very good, doesn't it?
"There are 3-parts to a magic act" as Cuttter (Caine) tells us in the beginning and at the end of the movie, the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige. Who knew? You want me to tell you what each one is, don't you? Not going to happen. I just like the parts where now you see it, now you don't; or where you see nothing and then you see something. Anyway, now you know there will be twists and turns and that is what you expect to see, and you are not disappointed.
The beginning of this movie is somewhat confusing, but it all works out and yet, there are still some parts I am not up on. I might have to see this again. They go into flashbacks and somehow you have to keep telling yourself it is a flashback you think. See? Troubles there too. And, the problem with the flashbacks have to do with a murder that you didn't see happen and that was confusing until the last 10-minutes. It was confusing because I kept asking myself for most of the movie, how was the murder committed? Why is this person in jail? See? Was I misdirected by the Director who knows misdirection is the key to magic? Hmmmm.
The audio (or was it the English accents) was a problem for some of the dialogue that I couldn't get, but otherwise the cinematography, the dialogue in general, and the acting performances were okay. However, I keep thinking that Christian Bale was not right for the role he played. I don't think he brought his "A" game. Is there another Batman film in his future? Wasn't truly aware that David Bowie (he played Tesla) was in this. He is outstanding. And, when he spoke I said "that sounds like Pierce Brosnan, imitating a slow-talking Chinaman speaking very good English." It was great. I loved it. Michael Caine is always good and he is the only Englishman I can understand easily. As for Scarlett Johansson, I wasn't aware she was in this movie also (I don't look at the box). She is, as always, excellent, but needs a movie with more lines. We don't see enough of her.
Again, some humor might have helped this production, as things were played much too seriously, and, there were too many scenes that were too dark to really see what was going on. And, you will never guess the outcome in the last 10-minutes. And, after you see the outcome, you may want to see the movie again to be sure you understood what you thought you understood. Save me a seat as I need to catch up on some things too.
But, despite some shortcomings, this is a good movie, not as good as The Illusionist, but okay-good.
Violence:Yes, Sex: No, Nudity: No, Language: No