The Prestige

UK Release Date: 10 November 2006

Certification: 12A

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, David Bowie, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis

Rating: 83%

"Are you watching closely?"

Review:

On paper The Prestige is the perfect film. It has a terrific twist that comes out from absolutely no where, Nolan produces technical brilliance and there's an immense cast. However, the fact that no character comes across as likeable during the runtime makes it difficult for me to latch on to anyone and prevents me from loving The Prestige. 

Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play competing magicians (Alfred Bordon and Robert Angier respectively). Alongside, Leonardo DiCaprio these are two of the greatest actors of this generation. They both play the role exactly as described - they're both unlikeable and selfish men that destroy each other and the people around them in an insane obsession to suceed. And that's where I struggle with The Prestige. I understand that Alfred and Robert are both obnoxious characters but in order to elevate a movie from great to incredible I have to become emotionally invested in a character and I just can't do that with The Prestige no matter how hard I try. 

I said in my review of The Town that I don't particularly rate Rebecca Hall as an actress. I don't really know why but considering she's meant to be the emotional drive of the film as Bordon's wife, Sarah, that aspect falls flat for me. On the other hand, Michael Caine gives one of the most sincere performances of his career. Scarlett Johansson and Andy Serkis deliver in supporting roles. And even, David Bowie is surprisingly awesome in this film. 

Moving away from the negatives - I still believe The Prestige is a terrific film - and the film only gets better upon multiple rewatches. 

Christian Bale's performance transforms on a second viewing to a different level. There's a new found appreciation for each scene he appears in as you try to discover what character he's really playing in that scene. 

You could make an argument for Psycho, Se7en or even The Sixth Sense but I genuinely believe the twist in The Prestige is the greatest ever seen on the big screen. It's a shrewd twist because although it's spelled out to the audience in the first five minutes of the film it still is incomprehensible on the first watch. There's numerous clues throughout the runtime and in all honesty it's hidden in plain sight. But similarly to the magic in the film, "Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know."

Christopher Nolan's brother, Jonathon Nolan, provides the screenplay for the film and in my opinion the dialogue is always a little bit sharper when he's involved. In The Prestige it's just so clever, there is never a throwaway line, everything is important and has a second concealed meaning. From the explanation of magic, "Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts", to the most revealing line of the film;

Alfred Bordon: "I love you"

Sarah: "Not today"

Alfred Bordon: "What do you mean?"

Sarah: "Well some days it's not true."