The Prestige (2006) User Reviews

Borden (Tesla) vs Angier (Edison)

[InigoMontoya1389 · 10/10 · 9 June 2019]

Great movie with Great actors writers and twists.

Something that i didn't see anybody said about it that rivalry between two magicians is reference to Tesla and Edison's rivalry. In the beginning they worked together, then became opponents. I think Borden is Tesla cause he always was more talented than Angier (Edison) who stole Borden's idea.

Surely on of the best movies in this century, be sure to watch it more than one time.

Fantastic.

[NpMoviez · 10/10 · 30 May 2018]

I won't say it's an underrated movie, but it has somewhat been buried by the legacy of other "popular" Nolan movies. With this movie, Nolan shows his ability to make a metacinematic film, yet again. This is obviously my most favorite Christopher Nolan movie, along with "Memento" (2000). Just like you can relate the theme of memories and interpretations shown in the story of "Memento" with the actual experience we had while watching the movie, we can relate the three acts of a magic trick narrated within the story with the movie itself. As the movie says, the final reveal in a magic trick is the most thrilling experience. So is that of this movie. In fact, the whole movie can be weirdly related to a magic trick. It is one of those movies which feel quite ordinary until a major twist makes it great. Speaking of the cinematic experience, it is a typical Nolan styled movie. It has broken timelines to enhance the storytelling, but unlike in most of his movies these are done more artistically than just for the thrilling reveal. This is perhaps the movie where Nolan's broken timelines have enhanced the storytelling in the most brilliant way. Like in most of movies, he dwells in a single theme - here it's obsession. The obsession of Robert Angier is what drives the plot of the movie, and is well established and doesn't even feel forced. There is a protagonist, and an antagonist in this movie. The character development is done so smoothly that we see the protagonist become an antagonist, while the antagonist remains somewhat the same. Though we don't get a full "interchange" between the antagonist and the protagonist, as the movie progresses, the protagonist feels more "wrong" than the antagonist. That's quite a difficult thing that it pulls off. Alfred Bordon is one of the most "complex" characters I have ever seen. He feels like some kind of a prick throughout the movie, and there are a lot of scenes to establish it for the viewers. That's until we get to know his character in the third act. It doesn't make him right for his wrong doings, but he gets the respect for his dedication as a magician. The whole Tesla plotline might feel like a convenient plot device, but Tesla is a scientist who is rumoured to travel through time. So, that is quite justifiable. Hugh Jackman has given a solid performance. This must go down as his best performances with those of "Prisoners" (2013) and "Logan" (2017). He is completely out of his public persona of Wolverine. He is the best possible choice for Wolverine imo, but reminder of Wolverine every time he appears on screen isn't so adorable. He didn't remind me of Wolverine at all, in this movie. But, the major highlight of the movie would be Christian Bale. He has given a terrific performance. You don't even get a hint at the complexity of the character he is portraying. It's after the reveal and in fact, in the second viewing that you start noticing the actual stuffs and the actual interpretations a particular scene is to be given. All in all, it's a fantastic movie. The way obsession play out to be the main theme, the way broken timelines are used for storytelling and the way the final twist is revealed - simply excellent. It gets a special "10/10" and an "A+".

Are you watching closely?

[murtaza_mma · 10/10 · 7 September 2009]

The Prestige, adapted from an award winning novel of the same name by Christopher Priest, is an intricate tale of passion, intrigue, deceit and obsession about two illusionists, whose morbid covetousness for absolute supremacy in their profession engenders a fierce rivalry that turns internecine and ultimately consumes them. Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) at the start of their careers are highly ambitious young men assisting an elderly illusionist named Milton. Borden's incessant longing for innovation leads to the accidental death of Angier's wife. Borden marries Sarah and his apparent happiness further aggravates the sense of revulsion in Angier's heart. Angier's vindictive intervention during a bullet catch trick causes Borden to lose his two fingers. Though these events sowed the seeds of implacable hatred, but it is the unremitting yearning of their perpetually insatiable egos to outperform each other that eventually drives them to perdition.

Angier starts performing with the sobriquet "The Great Danton" with Cutter (Michael Caine) as his illusion engineer, while Borden with the stage name "The Professor" with Fellon as his engineer. Angier is an adept showman, but lacks the technical prowess. On the contrary, Borden is highly skillful, but lacks the taste for grandeur and showmanship. Each regards the other as his only obstacle (owing to their bitterly intertwined past) and this starts a series of events in which each tries to stymie the other by any means possible (sabotage, abduction, incrimination and even killings). Awed by the apparent genuineness of Borden's version of "The Transported Man" and inveigled by Borden's deliberate misdirection, Angier travels miles and spends a fortune to approach an ingenious scientist named Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) in order to cajole him into building a machine for him (a machine that could help him outperform Borden). Nikola Tesla is an apostle of Alternating Current (and rightly thinks it to be superior to Direct Current), and is under immense pressure imparted by Thomas Edison (ruthless advocator of Direct Current) and his men, who are after Tesla. As Edison's men close in on him, Tesla runs out of time and hence funds for his research and is forced to oblige Angier, who is his very last client. Tesla flees the scene shortly after fulfilling his promise to Angier (not without leaving him a strong note of caution against the use of his invention), whose ever increasing skepticism in Tesla is placated by the efficacy of his masterful invention. Using Tesla's machine, Angier introduces his own version of "The Transported Man", which becomes an instant success, but in lieu of a terrible self-sacrifice (that Angier has to make every night while performing). As the story culminates, the viewer is startled with many revelations including the mental and physical torments that Borden's complex character undergoes owing to his total devotion towards his art.

The success of an act of illusion solely depends upon the deftness with which its three parts viz. the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige are performed. Similarly, for a movie to be a success, its three main aspects i.e. screenplay, direction, and acting are ought to be top-notch. Christopher Nolan incredibly manages to strike all the right cords with The Prestige. His riveting maneuvers coupled with his ingenious auteur skills aggrandize the brilliance of the movie ten-fold. Nolan succeeds in having a dream assemblage of actors with almost everyone giving a memorable performance. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are superb in their lead roles. Michael Caine shines in his low-key portrayal of Cutter, an ordinary part made to appear extraordinary through sheer brilliance; vintage Caine. David Bowie as Nikola Tesla and Andy Serkis (Gollum of LOTR) as Alley (Tesla's assistant) are stupendous in their cameos. Scarlet Johansson also manages to give a scintillating portrayal as Borden's paramour, Olivia.

The movie is a roller-coaster of a ride with intriguingly intertwined subplots and masterful time switching, which makes it one of a kind and an ultimate masterpiece. The uncanny feat of Nolan to manifest a motion picture, which forays the realms of Mystery, Thrill, Sci-fi and Fantasy, is truly exemplary and makes the movie a contemporary classic. The movie is a tapestry of twists and turns, which evinces its overwhelming potential to bewitch the masses and satiate even the most esoteric viewers. The questions that it incessantly asks of the viewers can only be answered after repetitive viewings, with each viewing seeking utmost attention of the viewer. The only question that I would ask of the viewer is: "Are you watching closely?"

A must watch for anyone, who has nothing against giving his mind a rigorous exercise and his body an adrenaline rush. 10/10

A Stylish, Uniquely Twisted Period Piece

[wordmonkey · 8/10 · 5 October 2006]

What "The Prestige" does very well is recreate a period of show business history near the turn of the century in which competition between magicians was serious and intense. The workings of the complicated illusions are gorgeously brought to life via smartly detailed apparatus that replicate the actual mechanics of Victorian legerdemain.

Much of the film rings very true, such as the all-consuming obsessions of the lead characters to be the best and outdo all others. It's an easy step to accept that such unwavering determination spills over into deadly territory, as rival magicians suave Rupert Angier (a riveting performance by Hugh Jackman) and audacious Alfred Borden (Christian Bale effortlessly playing a brooding lower-class Brit) each seek to wreak continuing revenge upon the other.

The story, though adapted from a novel, feels like a perfect fit for director Nolan's sensibilities, as the machinations of the two men become increasingly convoluted during a back-and-forth tug of wits that keeps you guessing in the style of Nolan's "Memento." As the game grows increasingly deadly, and threatens to consume all they love, the film becomes a fascinating study in single-mindedness.

The work is epic in sweep, beautifully filmed, and strongly acted. The only odd note in casting is David Bowie as Nikola Tesla (he looks nothing like the actual Tesla, if you care about these sort of things, and his appearance calls attention to itself as superstar casting often does), but Mr. Bowie holds his own. Solid performances are all around, with Michael Caine adding dignity and depth as the old master, Scarlett Johanssen as the as the lovely stage assistant who becomes the third point in a twisted love triangle, and even Andy Serkis (Gollum!) in a memorable supporting role.

The introduction of Tesla adds yet another twist, as the film shifts from real-but-possible stage illusion to steam-punkish sci-fi. This transition is a hard note to pull off, since the beginning of the film doesn't quite suggest such a direction, but if you're willing to let Nolan lead you on the journey into increasingly fantastic realms, the narrative rewards you with thought-provoking moral and dramatic exploration of the issues raised.

A truly entertaining movie, and an original, unusual, dark ride -- well worth seeing in a theater for its grand scope and vision.

Just As Intriguing The Second Time, Too!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 29 September 2008]

I've seen this film twice now - about a year ago and then yesterday - and thoroughly enjoyed it both times, even the second time when I remembered some of those fantastic twists in the last half hour. Sometimes it's even more fun to view a film like this when you know a few things, because earlier scenes take on new meaning.

It's not an easy film to totally digest, even with two viewings, because that ending has some mind-boggling revelations. Without having to resort to spoilers, let me just say the story is extremely interesting, the acting very good, the period pieces fun to view and it's a pretty clean movie so grandma can also enjoy it, too, without language or sex concerns.

Basically, it's a story about obsession between two magicians in the last decade of the 19th century. They continually try to top one another and things get nasty along the way. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are both fun to watch in those roles, as are Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson in supporting roles.

This is one movie guaranteed to have you thinking about it when it's over!

This movie fills the screen and your mind.

[girlwithpen · 10/10 · 21 October 2006]

I couldn't help myself. I just kept saying "wow, what a beautifully crafted film," all the way home, and around my house when I arrived home. I have not been so captured and entertained in a long time. I was especially enamored with the screen writing and how tightly and beautifully the visual metaphors tied in with the writing, and with the impact of the human message about obsession, competition and retribution carried to the extreme.

One can relate to this personal human struggle for victory over another at all costs on a much grander scale, as the two magicians could easily be symbolic of how leaders of countries come to blows with each other, at the expense of their women and children -- something we struggle with right now in our world. There are deeper layers of this film that will be uncovered over time.

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine all contributed stunning, emotional performances. Rebecca Hall, who played Sarah to Bale's Alfred Borden, turned in a highly charged performance as well, making Scarlett Johansson's Olivia flat in comparison. And although some people thought the plot line a bit tedious, I found it to be refreshingly complex and engaging, while not being so complex as to lose you. If you can't follow this one, you've been watching television too long. And who cares if the illusions are mundane or scientifically unbelievable? Isn't that what both movies and illusions ask us to do? To suspend disbelief? Meantime, there's a message in its madness. Hello.

The film is visually moody and evocative, easily transporting you into the time period. What more could you ask for? A film is a visual medium and this one is a visual ten. The acting is superb as well as the plot. It keeps you interested; it keeps you guessing right to the shocking but most appropriate end.

It asks you, what is one willing to sacrifice for the "prestige?"

I think this one's an Oscar definite.

Storytelling at its best!

[Surecure · 8/10 · 21 October 2006]

The Prestige is a masterful exercise in storytelling with superb direction and powerful performances by a grand ensemble cast. From set and production design to cinematography, from script to presentation, Christopher Nolan has once again demonstrated why he is one of the film world's brightest up and coming directors. The Prestige only helps solidify his standing as one of the landmark directors of his generation.

Told in a narrative that jumps between various points along its time line, playing out like a magic act itself, the story is that of two magicians on the rise in their careers. The first -- played by Christian Bale -- is an expert in understanding the fundamentals of any trick, but lacks showmanship. The second -- played by Hugh Jackman -- is a master showman who is more entertaining than technical. A tragic series of events pits the two performers against each other in a battle of wits that spirals further and further out of control, consuming both of them and everything and everyone they care about.

With a story that requires actors with a great deal of emotive range, Nolan has assembled what could be described as a dream cast. Both Bale and Jackman suit their respective roles perfectly, and pitting these two performers against each other was a stroke of casting genius. Michael Caine takes what could have been a forgettable role by any lesser actor and elevates it with his demanding screen presence. Probably the most surprising performance comes from David Bowie whose unforgettable turn as master physicist Nikola Tesla absolutely shines. Add Andy Serkis to the mix, and what is assembled is a group of performers who know how to fully engage the audience.

The Prestige is hard to pigeonhole into any specific genre as it walks the fine line between mystery, drama, suspense and fantasy. In that, the story becomes a never-ending stream of wonder for the mind: one can never tell exactly where the story is going to lead next, becoming more and more as time goes on. This gives Christopher Nolan ample opportunity to play. And play he does. With narration by several characters, each adding their own viewpoint to the events, and with a direction that moves between time to mystify and distract, the end result is a climax that itself is a series of puzzles that each unravel beautifully.

The only major criticisms that can be leveled at the Prestige are a confusing play with the seasons during Tesla's introduction (winter suddenly becomes spring/summer and back again) and a strange choice of music for the closing credits (a pop song at the end of a film such as this seems tacky). However, neither is significant enough of a problem to warrant any need to avoid the film at all.

In the end, the Prestige is a fantastic display of what can be accomplished when you bring together superior talent. It is certainly worth the price of admission and as good as any magic show you are to come across.

Outstanding acting performances worth price of admission

[iohefy-2 · 9/10 · 16 October 2006]

I went to see a critics preview of The Prestige this afternoon and to my surprise I found the film to be one of the best I have seen all year so far, and that writers can come up with an excellent script it they would only try a little harder. The acting performances by Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine were the best I have see in a long while. The only objection I had to the film was that it was a little long, but once you leave the theater you will discuss the film and it many twists and turns. My wife and myself discussed it all the way home from the movie theater. This is a winner and should be up for some academy award statues, and my recommendation is go see this as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed.

A Nutshell Review: The Prestige

[DICK STEEL · 10/10 · 20 October 2006]

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Christopher Nolan can do no wrong. Teaming up again with his Batman Begins cast of Christian Bale and Michael Caine, and joined with the Scoop team consisting of X-Men's Wolverinie Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson, the stellar (eye candy) cast already set tongues wagging as to whether they'll be able to live up to the hype of Nolan's long awaited movie directly challenging the other picture about Victorian magicians, The Illusionist. The Prestige is the third act of any magic trick, with the first and second acts being the Pledge and the Turn. And this movie lives up to its namesake to a T. The way the movie plays out, it's like a huge magic trick, with the audience waiting to see how it unfolds, getting the suspicion on how it's done, but yet sitting through it thorough engaged to discover how everything will be revealed and resolved. It tells the story of how two magicians, fellow apprentices turned unfortunate rivals, plod down the slow path of jealous obsession, revenge, and the deliberate attempts to go at lengths to steal each other's ideas, to go one up against the other, a fight in romance, life and the long held passionate drive to discredit each other. There are perfect explanations of the value of secrets, and how secrets can sometimes be used as tools for deceit. What I thought was valuable in the movie was the reinforcement of the notion of how "magic" actually worked. Besides the better understanding of the common body of scientific knowledge, things like having pretty assistants to distract, and having planted staff amongst the audience, somehow made me a sceptic to tricks and illusions, and try harder to spot at which stage had things undergone a sleight of hand. More importantly, it introduced me to the notion and importance of a loyal engineer behind the scenes who designs elaborate contraptions solely for the magician's use, and how having disloyal staff can indeed be detrimental to any leaks of secrets. And Michael Caine took on this engineering role as Cutter, responsible for assisting Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) with loyalty and conviction that they could, as a team, beat Christian Bale's Alfred Borden. I thought the cast in general were superb, with Christian Bale leading the charge. Hugh Jackman too showed that he could play a dark character, as the two leads tackled their characters' theme of sacrifice, arrogance, and ultimately redemption, especially for Rupert Angier. I thought he did what he did towards the end was a kind of penance to what happened in the beginning, hoping to kill two birds with a single stone, to exact the sweetest revenge he could possibly muster. What also was intriguing about the two lead characters was that there is no right or wrong, no hero or villain. It's always a shade of grey in what they do, and for Alfred Borden, I felt it's more for survival and the provision for family, which is a strong subplot running through the film. I just have to mention though, that Scarlett Johansson being Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive, gets to play a flower vase role here as a magician's assistant, though her role as the pawn between the rivals added a little gravitas. The atmosphere was set up great, and so were the costumes and sets. The soundtrack was hauntingly mesmerizing, capturing the look and mood appropriately. Look out too for David Bowie's appearance as a Serbian scientist! I was floored by the deftness of how Nolan weaved and juxtaposed the non linear narrative so flawlessly. While the usual techniques is to use placeholders, or flashback sequences, colours etc, here, time is so fluid, but yet the audience will know precisely which era they're in, without being explicitly told, or working too much of the noodle. You just know, and it's just that feeling of being totally transparent with time. Even though the movie clocked in at slightly more than 2 hours, you don't feel its length at all. At the end of the movie, one quote popped into mind: Misdirection - what the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes. Quite apt to describe how things work out during the movie, or to describe in general, Nolan 's films so far. That added richness to lift the movie to a superior plane. Do yourself a favour, if there's one movie you absolutely must watch this week, then Prestige must be your natural choice. It's smart in delivery and slick in presentation. There is none other. P.S. Is it just me, or are notebooks a common feature in Nolan's movies?

One of the best movies EVER

[UrbanFilmCritic · 19 October 2006]

What makes this movie so incredible is that while it is indeed a movie about magicians (or illusionists) it is also a complex character study about how self destructive obsessions are with a sideline love story and a sci-fi twist. A unique plot with an amazing cast--any of whom could believably garner an Oscar nomination. Christian Bale was amazing in one of his rare cockney performances. We already know from Kate and Leopold how well Hugh Jackman plays a distinguished English gent. He's absolutely priceless. Is there any point in discussing Sir Michael Caine? He brings polish to the movie.

This is the kind of flick that you can discuss for weeks after. The plot is so detailed and complete and open to interpretation. My friend and I have been discussing various nuances of this film for the past 3 weeks. It definitely stays with you.

Great entertainment, though it pigeonholes itself there

[benm-41751 · 7/10 · 13 February 2018]

This movie is very engaging and intriguing. You are presented with a complete mess of scenes which go back and forth through time and are needlessly confusing, yet the core story and the characters were compelling enough to keep me interested and paying attention. The cinematography, the sound, the acting, and the visual elements are all perfectly in place, and overall its very entertaining.

My only concern is that the film prevents itself from achieving greatness by relying heavily on a very cheap, shallow plot element. It becomes science fiction, which is fine but a bit strange after spending so long convincing me the characters are real. This is something I find with all of Nolan's movies, that they present themselves as being mysterious and secretive but fall a little flat if you apply any brain power to them.

Still, I think this movie is worth watching if you're looking for something a little suspenseful, a little creepy, and very entertaining. Maybe the movie's ultimate goal is the same as a magician's, as said in the movie: that one moment where the audience is in awe and disbelief.

Amazing! twist after twist!

[Faisala · 10/10 · 22 October 2006]

I have to say this is one of the best movies i have seen this year, i was not expecting it to be that good. There's twist after twist, and when you think there is no more, there will be. Great performances and ever better plot. I highly recommend this movie to all ages.

New idea for a movie, and they succeeded it at it greatly. It will have you thinking every time you see a magician on TV!

i had to give this movie a 10/10, and i only have 4 movies that i would rate that way in my life time. If there is anything you do this year, make it a trip to watch this movie!

I hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

"The Prestige" starts well but cheats with its own premise...

[ElMaruecan82 · 7/10 · 25 May 2018]

There are many kinds of magic: wizardry à la 'Harry Potter', illusions or hallucinations, or entertaining shows: mediums, rabbits in top-hats, women sawed in half, bag-content guessing, magic cards etc.

Speaking of cards, Christopher Nolan's "Prestige", made between two 'Batman' movies, lays its cards at the first voice-over monologue where we immediately recognize Michael Caine's smooth voice. It's about the third kind of magic and provides the three structural rules of an act: it starts with the Pledge: you show something normal then the Turn, you make it do something extraordinary... but there's an element of expectation and the higher your reputation goes, the more sophisticated the public. In fact, there's got to be something unpredictable, so it all comes down to the Prestige, the trick no one sees coming and will earn magicians applauses and guess what? prestige.

Then, the least you can expect from the film is to follow these three rules even in the loosest possible way if it means wowing you with a spectacular surprise. And given that it's a Nolan film about the deadly art of illusion, much more opening with the killing of a magician, the imprisonment of his rival whom everything accuses, your twist-radar is set from the start, so not any twist will do. Whatever the prestige will be, if it's not venturing in the realm of feasibility, something will have been missed. We're dealing with magic after all, not fantasy, not sci-fi. I insist on the sci-fi element because the film opens with some electrical contraption that shakes its credibility from the start until a reassuring trap door shows and we can let a sight of relief go.

French called electricity a Fairy so it all makes sense that magicians would use it as a device for generating illusion, just like rivals Edison and Tesla were perceived as wizards. After all, it's also established that magic is about what you see and what you don't and the use of lights and darkness is integral to the act. Still, I didn't like that machine. It felt incongruous and weird in a period drama and I was afraid Nolan would end up inserting some Batman-like device. And when he said in the "making of" video that he wanted to portray magic according to his personal vision of film-making, I thought "no kidding?", I'm pretty sure everyone got the parallel, especially when magical acts use special effects worthy of a Spielberg film.

So Nolan gets a little carried away at the end while the first two acts of the movie had really gotten me involved, I mean the escalating rivalry between the two magicians Alfred Bowden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and their attempts to destroy one's act or find one's secret. What Nolan got right is that the rivalry mostly works as a foil to plunge us in the world of magic and know all the tricks. After all, that's the greatest thrill about magic, seeing how it works. For instance, the way a magician puts a dove in a cage and then flattens it to magically making the dove reappear under a handkerchief always made me scratch my head... but in this Dickensian universe where there's no pity for little children, why should there for innocent animals?

The trigger of the rivalry also helps to understand how one of the most famous magic tricks, the "escape from the tank water" that made Houdini's reputation, is indirectly explained. Working as false audience members, Bowden and Angier are assigned to tie the magician's pretty assistant (Piper Perabo), one of them makes the kind of knot that doesn't leave any chance for the poor girl, who happens to be the other's wife. We gather that from then, it's personal. Another pivotal moment occurs when one conceives his masterpiece, an act that consists on getting in a door and coming out of another. He calls it "The Transported Man", for us, it looks like teleportation and it justifies why the rival is devoured by jealousy, although Caine's character can only see one explanation: there must be a double.

At that point of the review, it's impossible to go further without spoiling the film. It's engaging enough to make you forget there's a twist but it's not spoiling the film to say that there's a twist, since it's the essence of magic. You've got to wow the audience with a surprise at the end. With the seemingly death of a character right at the start of the film, the battle to know everyone's tricks and the existence of a double, anyone could reassemble the pieces of the puzzle. But you know Nolan has more than a trick in his sleeve and that's both a blessing and a curse. Granted anticipations are to be toyed a little to be emotionally rewarded, all he had to do was working on the narrative structure to make what we know first a more effective reveal or a shock.

Instead of that, Nolan relied on a far fetched revelation combined with an implementation that destroyed the whole atmosphere built throughout the film. From the start, we follow magicians who are dedicated to their passion, which is good, but the escalation toward sadism and some ends-justifying-the-means means made their whole approach to their art debatable, leaving no room for sympathy. In this cruel battle of wits, women are reduced to disposable pawns (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johannsen would get more dimensional roles in a certain Woody Allen's movie).

The first two acts, we can call them 'pledges' and 'turns' are great but then the film goes downhill. One thing for sure, I hated that Tesla Machine, and no offense to David Bowie, but Tesla was quite a handsome fellow whom I doubt spoke with such a heavy British accent. Nolan wanted his film-making to echo magic, but he let the reverse thing operate.

No magic, just cheating

[5durham · 4/10 · 8 April 2007]

In a film about magic and illusion, isn't it a shame that the makers cheat the audience who have waited patiently for the clever reveal. It's not so much a case of "how did they do that, it's impossible" as "that IS impossible". There's no magic trick at all, the whole conceit relies on a sci-fi teleporter/cloning machine which does not and never has existed. Well acted, well staged and filmed but the whole idea of the magic trick ending with a "prestige" is lost because, in this film, the trick has no prestige, just a sparkly device which, you feel, has been invented by the film-makers because they couldn't think up a clever ending. Twists and tricks are great in movies, provided they are believable and inventive. Doing the impossible is merely treating the audience as idiots.

Webby meshwork of magic and mystery

[Flagrant-Baronessa · 9/10 · 27 December 2006]

Director Christopher Nolan has a proclivity for warped narratives (Memento) and in The Prestige he serves up a deliciously twisty tale, puffed full of magic theatricality and inventive cinematic devices. With his remarkably sleight-of-hand direction, he spins the tale of two rivaling magicians in Victorian-era London, creating a cerebrally stimulating 2 hour long mise-en-scene in which the audience is literally left guessing and gasping at its rare uniqueness through magic acts and bitter behind-the-stage intrigue.

The final pay-off of any magic act – the prestige – is of the essence, and preluding it is the pledge, followed by the turn. Together these three key components are slotted in unique positions in 'The Prestige's arrestingly clever script but it is the titular act that propels the film. The pledge introduces our main characters: magicians Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) in turn-of-the-century London and we see how their friendship abruptly becomes a fully-fledged rivalry and hostility with a magic act gone horribly wrong in front of an audience. There is a death, and it lights the fuse of an onslaught of reel revelations and the one-upmanship that will ensue between the two competitors. 'The turn' comes to offers twists by the bucketload in the form of love-interests, and technologically marvelous magic acts. I gasped, I scratched my head, I watched on in awe. No description will do it justice.

The prestige as the end note to the show – in which, for example, the disappearer reappears to the deafening applause of the crowd – is so meticulously composed in the film through foreshadowing and fractured chronology that rigorously intersects, intertwines, intercuts, fast-forwards, rewinds and replays key parts of the story that the whole spectacle floors you. Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan have worked out a template script that is more twisty and turny than a mountain road and for that reason I am very reluctant to spoil even the slightest detail of the story of 'The Prestige'– of all of its acts, in fact. If you are shaking your head thinking a clever twist ending does not make the movie (and I agree), know that this is not a "gotcha"-kind of Shyamalan trick where you want to stop the film, rewind it and watch it meticulous foreshadowing up to the cheap pay-off, but a tightly-written ever-shifting hall of mirrors with so many intrinsic twists that on your way home you will still be scratching you head and searching for clues.

Our two magicians are perfectly-cast with Hugh Jackman capturing the showy, slick, ambition-driven nature of his character Angier in contrast to Bale's technique-driven purist who may be well on his way to perfecting the craft, but lacks the 'Abracadabra' entertainment value. I had always crowned the latter the more capable actor of the two, but the fact is that Jackman performs just as well in the film. Having said that, Borden has more layers to his complex, contradictory (keyword) persona than the flashy, greedy Angier which perhaps begs more weight from the actor behind the role, shifting more demand on Christian Bale. The sad fact of it is that neither of these two men are likable characters and elicit nothing more than temporary sympathy. However, the secrecy with which the intricate story approaches them makes it impossible for the viewer to slot them in protagonist vs. antagonist positions, and indeed they are given almost the exact same screen-time and voice-over narration throughout, a subtle and brilliant accolade of Nolan's.

To further evaluate the cast of The Prestige, David Bowie and Michael Caine undoubtedly merit a great deal of praise for supporting the two moody, unlikeable leading men. It is a crying shame then that Scarlett Johansson – always an incapable actress except for the rare occasions in which she plays a sultry American vixen (Match Point) – performs so badly in the role of Olivia Wenscombe, a magic assistant pending between Borden and Angier. Here she is actually given a very good and important character who is not necessarily bad like the rest, but botches her interpretation by giving an unspeakably hammy London accent. Nolan picks up on her shortcomings as an actress, and resorts to boob-shots en masse. This he should be fully entitled to do as a director, for a beautiful diversion will always camouflage the process and any of its potential missteps, as Michael Caine's character puts forward.

With Scarlett as a pleasurable paint-job, twists by the bucket-load and flashy magic tricks as windowdressing to a solid mystery film, there is little or no need to delve deeper into the psyches of its characters to keep our attention. Yet this is done, and superbly so, by Christopher Nolan. 'Antihero' gets a whole new spin to it in The Prestige with two friends-turned-rivals so bitterly poised on the brink of obsession of outshining the other that succeeding with the ultimate 'prestige' of magic followed by applause is enough to drive them to murder, bankruptcy, deceit and sabotage. Borden simply wants to be better on a technical level, while Angier wants the public's recognition and wide-spread fame. Their ambition is in effect largely the same: create the definitive deceptive illusion and do it through any means necessary.

'The Prestige' is a majestic film that nevertheless spans across too long a running time. Condensation would have done wonders and surely bumped it up a notch, as would underpinning some humour at one or two points (it is VERY gloomy), but it truly is a great cinematic achievement and a shoe-in for my top 10 of 1006, and easily the most inventive film I have seen in years. I am eagerly anticipated director Christopher Nolan's next sleight-of-hand direction, and it looks like the closest is The Dark Knight (2008).

9 out of 10

The Prestige

[auuwws · 9/10 · 17 February 2021]

Great movie and best movie I've seen directed by Christopher Nolan. The story of the movie was great and I did not expect the end. Most of the film's characters were excellent, and Tesla's appearance in the film was excellent. The acting was excellent, especially from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale who were dazzling in the film, the film embodies the period of the end of the nineteenth century, a great film.

Give This Film Time to Sink In...

[gavin6942 · 10/10 · 28 October 2006]

Leaving the theater, I thought the film was just okay. An hour later, I thought it was pretty clever. And now, the next day, I think it was amazing. Why the change? It took that long for most or all of the subtle hints to sink in and the real twists to be discovered. The film doesn't end when you leave, it begins.

The story is the tale of two magicians in a bitter rivalry, always trying to do a better trick than the other and trying to sabotage the other's success. At least, that's what you think the story is until you finally see "the prestige".

I can't discuss much of this film because giving almost anything at all away would ruin some of the fun. But a few notes: Christian Bale, as always is awesome. An incredible actor with a wide range and screen appeal. Christopher Nolan works well with him (see "Batman Begins") and I hope they continue this Burton-Depp relationship they have. I foresee only greatness.

Hugh Jackman is also spectacular, probably giving the most diverse performance in the film, easily the most demanding. And he does this convincingly.

Scarlett Johannson is Scarlett Johannson... if you've liked her before, you should like her here (though her role never really gets the full story it needs). And David Bowie... wow, he is so much better than "Labrynth" would have you believe.

The visuals are stunning, but the real credit goes to the makeup department, who deserve an Oscar for this picture. Outside of horror films where extensive makeup is often required, this film probably does more to change the actors' appearances than any other film I've ever seen. And I was going along with the ride the whole time.

If you see one film from 2006, see "The Departed". But if you see two, "The Prestige" better be on your list.

Fantastic!

[orko_dutta · 8/10 · 13 July 2019]

The final reveal in a magic trick is the most thrilling experience. So is that of this movie. The Prestige is a masterful exercise in storytelling with superb direction and powerful performances. I was floored by the deftness of how Nolan weaved and juxtaposed the non linear narrative so flawlessly. What makes this movie so incredible is that while it is indeed a movie about magicians (or illusionists) it is also a complex character study about how self destructive obsessions are with a sideline love story and a sci-fi twist - very unique.

A Film with Intellect

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 23 October 2006]

I thought this was an amazing film. It takes a period before the advent of the illusionist pyrotechnics of modern times and shows us the magic. Not only does it have the magic working for it, it has a great story of revenge, hatred, one-upsmanship, genius, you name it. The story teaches us about illusion which is a much more accurate term for what we see. I will never look at David Copperfield the same way again. There is incredible scenic effluence. The acting is impeccable and the direction and cinematography is unrivaled. For once a film that lives up to its hype. Using David Bowie as Tesla is marvelous. I've always thought that he should have had a much greater career as an actor than he has realized. Michael Caine is the voice of reason, but his voice is seldom listened to. Revenge is one of the oldest motives and it poisons one of the characters. Stay with this one; then see it again. It is a masterpiece.

Obsession and Revenge

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 14 December 2013]

Around the turn of the century, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), his wife Julia McCullough (Piper Perabo), and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are assistants to the magician Cutter (Michael Caine). Due to hubris, Julia is killed in one of the tricks. It sets off a combative obsessive competition between Angier and Borden that ends in their eventual destruction. Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson play other love interests.

This is a dense complicated plot. If you figured it out before the ending, then you're much smarter than me. Christopher Nolan and his brother have woven an intrigue story of obsession and revenge. The twists will leave you stunned. The reveals of the tricks are jaw dropping. It doesn't get more mind bending than this one.

In a way, the flashforwards are not that necessary. It throws a complicated story into more confusion. It's too much. The movie may be better to be more straight forward. Personally, I like the challenge.

fascinating

[Kirpianuscus · 26 January 2016]

a film about magic at different levels. the magic as art. the magic as axis of life. art as only way to survive. beautiful, mysterious, ambiguous and almost impeccable. in fact, brilliant job. and this status is result of delicate-precise mixture of acting, impeccable story, splendid atmosphere and the feeling than competition escapes from the screen. a seductive detail - David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, a role who gives to film a special flavor. at first sigh, story of a cruel fight for success. or a portrait of manipulation art. in fact, fresco of a time. and one of admirable roles for Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman.

Stop Rating Christopher Nolan Movies a 10!

[jonsefcik · 7/10 · 23 February 2018]

Christopher Nolan is an undeniably great filmmaker and every movie of his I've seen I'd give at least a 7...

...that doesn't mean everything he does should be on the IMDb top 250, let alone this high up! I feel like everybody rates Christopher Nolan's films a 10 simply because he directed them. It irritates me to see movies such as this and Interstellar so high up on this list when (although they're both fine movies) there are so many other (in my opinion) objectively better films that deserve those slots.

I pretty much only wrote this to complain about the inflated scores on most of Nolan's films, but I'll talk briefly about the film. The acting was very good and the presentation was nice but nothing spectacular. There aren't many specifics for me to complain about besides the ending, which is why this review has a spoiler warning. The ending makes the film contradict itself. Basically it turns out Christian Bale was playing a pair of identical twin brothers the whole time. Hugh Jackman gets Christian Bale hanged, only to get shot by Bale's twin. His twin was the reason he was able to perform the teleporting man stunt so seamlessly.

This goes against the whole philosophy Bale's character was preaching! Its stated multiple times that the reason Bale could perform the trick so seamlessly was because unlike Jackman, he supposedly wasn't using a doppelganger. But then at the end it turns out he WAS using a doppelganger the whole time! JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN IDENTICAL TWIN DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON! YOU'RE TWO DISCRETE ENTITIES! YOUR CLAIM IS A LIE!

In essence, the rest of the film is great but the stupid ending tarnishes the experience as a whole.

This was an amazing movie!

[Julia-Dempster · 10/10 · 20 October 2006]

This was the best movie I have seen in at least the past two years. Most movies have me leave the theater feeling like I wasted 8 dollars or so. So many movies lately have left me feeling like I wasted away precious hors of my life that could have been spent doing better things. Yet this movie was truly a masterpiece and kept me guessing the whole time. The acting was superb and so was the plot. I usually can predict the outcomes of movies pretty early on. And usually I can see the twist the writer planned. With this movie I was still left wondering into the last 5 minutes of the movie. I can't wait to own this on DVD.

I have lost all respect for you people....

[thebutcher2142 · 6/10 · 27 April 2007]

How in the world is this in the top 250 movies of all-time? The performances are nothing to write home about- Bale's Cockney accent is laughable, as in it made me laugh the whole movie, the reason I first gave this movie a 3, Jackman might as well have been a statue, and apparently Nolan never told Caine that he wasn't still playing Alfred between Batman movies. The only way someone could enjoy this movie is if they were somehow "fooled" by the "twists".

First of all, a twist is when you believe something and that something turns out not to be true. So there are no "twists" in this movie, because there is nothing to believe, the audience simply doesn't understand and the reason is eventually presented. Saying this movie has "twists" would be like saying someone performing card tricks has "twisted" your life.

Second, I don't know how it's possible to be fooled by anything in this movie. It is obvious that Fallon is a double for Bale the entire movie, although I thought he was only a look-a-like, he was his twin brother. They say the entire movie you have to "live" your trick.They keep telling the wives and girlfriends "a part of me" and "I loved you yesterday" Then, how can anyone be fooled with anything in the ending? You know the machine clones things, why didn't you know Jackman was still alive.

Which brings me to the point of what is this movie about exactly? It's about two loser magician twins, one of whom makes his wife commit suicide and the other denies his true love and gets hanged- all of this for what? Magic!! It's also about another loser magician who's wife drowns(the only real magic in the movie by the way)- and then receives a clone machine(now it's a sci-fi movie for some reason), which he uses to upstage the other two loser magicians (and mass murder), causing the remaining loser twin to shoot and kill him.

And this is in the top 250? I take it back, I see the "twist" now.... that's magic!!

Great movie, ruined by the "ending"

[bighoo93 · 5/10 · 5 May 2007]

I say "ending", but since the ending is given away about 2/3 into the movie, its not really at the end. That is just where it is confirmed, to those who were in disbelief that such a great film could be utterly ruined.

Plot lines are elsewhere, I am just going to explain why you should skip this movie. First, I will admit that except for this truly fatal flaw, it is an excellent movie. And that's why this was so incredibly disappointing. The movie takes place in the 19th century. Here on earth. And there is a central mystery that is woven throughout the film, and you wrack your brain trying to figure it out. You follow every twist and turn, scrutinize every detail, develop and evaluate theories on what the answer could be, and eagerly anticipate the revealing. And then, all of a sudden, its science fiction. They had a cloning machine. How completely cowardly a solution that was. If you are watching Star Trek or something, you know that you are in the world of science fiction, where anything goes. A cloning machine is a formal possibility, and if that ends up to be the explanation, you fully accept it because it makes sense in that reference frame. But it is entirely out of place when you are supposedly in a "period piece." Turns out, it was never a period piece, it was science fiction pretending to be a period piece. That's dumb. You can't develop some clever puzzle, and then wimp out and never solve it, but instead just invoke science fiction. Extremely lazy and irresponsible.

This reminds me of another terrible move, The Forgotten. Same exact fatal flaw (except the rest of the movie wasn't that great either). There's a mystery, with clues and evidence that are seemingly impossible to reconcile, and you can't wait to find out how its being done. And then, they tell you its aliens from outer space. Gee, thanks. Stupid stupid stupid. Its more angering with The Prestige because it was so much the better movie, and they ruined it for no reason. A cloning machine over 100 years ago? How freaking stupid.