← Back to Reviews
in
2006: The Prestige
In what is one of my favourite years of the decade, Marty bagged his Oscar for The Departed, the “made-too-soon” United 93 equally horrified and enthralled and and Superman Returns was made, erasing the third and fourth film from the existing Superman film story arc. Underrated thriller Lucky Number Slevin was surprisingly stylish and intelligent, one of the finest dramedies ever made in Little Miss Sunshine instilled in me new respect for Carell and Kinnear, The Lives Of Others was certainly deserving of it’s Oscar, Miami Vice saw Michael Mann repeatedly stepped over his stylistic bounds, Babel was incredibly emotionally sincere and Children Of Men was a well-made picture (even though it’s overrated). Still, even though this strong group of films was released, it came down to near masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth and The Prestige. It was a hard decision, but The Prestige got in.
Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. 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. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".
Two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, are friends that soon become enemies, after Borden’s negligence causes Angier’s wife’s death. The duo’s rivalry turns obsessive and dangerous after Borden performs a trick that boggles and infuriates Angier into an objective to figure out the secret behind Borden’s trick.
Christopher Nolan directs this suspenseful tale with effort and a grim outlook. While conveys the rivalry between the two magicians, it also shows the side you don’t see of the magic world. It’s told with a theatrical manner, and the grand scenes involving the illusions are interesting to watch, thanks to some great writing and believable prop design. The film can also be considered a study of rivalry and obsession, as Angier nears closer to outdoing Borden, but nothing is as it seems in the world of The Prestige. It also works well as a period piece, thanks to some beautiful costume design and great photography.
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are both magnetic in their roles, Jackman especially. I didn’t consider him that much of a great actor before I saw this (although his performance as Wolverine was great fun), but he is miles away from anything else he’s ever done here. The other performances are solid, but in particular, Jackman and Bale are the standouts.
Of course, it’s a common staple in the thriller/mystery genre to have a twist, and it is a tired concept, but sometimes, the director can make them work, with the right amount of authenticity and conviction. Nolan is one of the few directors that can not only make a twist ending work, but ensure that the film remains rewatchable. When the film’s reveal is displayed, the pieces fit together, but works in a more deeper way. When Angier, moments away from death, states to Borden, “You never understood, why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder, and then you... then you got to see something really special... you really don't know?... it was... it was the look on their faces...”. Angier is telling Borden he never knew what it was to be a true illusionist, a true magician, but in this viewer’s opinion, Angier lost sight of that too, in his quest to be superior to Borden. The film’s twist is open to certain parts of interpretation, but this is my opinion on this aspect.
Christopher Nolan has made better films, but none feels quite as complete as The Prestige. It’s certainly one of the most intriguing films of recent memory, and one of my top 20 favourite films of all time.
In what is one of my favourite years of the decade, Marty bagged his Oscar for The Departed, the “made-too-soon” United 93 equally horrified and enthralled and and Superman Returns was made, erasing the third and fourth film from the existing Superman film story arc. Underrated thriller Lucky Number Slevin was surprisingly stylish and intelligent, one of the finest dramedies ever made in Little Miss Sunshine instilled in me new respect for Carell and Kinnear, The Lives Of Others was certainly deserving of it’s Oscar, Miami Vice saw Michael Mann repeatedly stepped over his stylistic bounds, Babel was incredibly emotionally sincere and Children Of Men was a well-made picture (even though it’s overrated). Still, even though this strong group of films was released, it came down to near masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth and The Prestige. It was a hard decision, but The Prestige got in.
Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. 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. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".
Two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, are friends that soon become enemies, after Borden’s negligence causes Angier’s wife’s death. The duo’s rivalry turns obsessive and dangerous after Borden performs a trick that boggles and infuriates Angier into an objective to figure out the secret behind Borden’s trick.
Christopher Nolan directs this suspenseful tale with effort and a grim outlook. While conveys the rivalry between the two magicians, it also shows the side you don’t see of the magic world. It’s told with a theatrical manner, and the grand scenes involving the illusions are interesting to watch, thanks to some great writing and believable prop design. The film can also be considered a study of rivalry and obsession, as Angier nears closer to outdoing Borden, but nothing is as it seems in the world of The Prestige. It also works well as a period piece, thanks to some beautiful costume design and great photography.
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are both magnetic in their roles, Jackman especially. I didn’t consider him that much of a great actor before I saw this (although his performance as Wolverine was great fun), but he is miles away from anything else he’s ever done here. The other performances are solid, but in particular, Jackman and Bale are the standouts.
Of course, it’s a common staple in the thriller/mystery genre to have a twist, and it is a tired concept, but sometimes, the director can make them work, with the right amount of authenticity and conviction. Nolan is one of the few directors that can not only make a twist ending work, but ensure that the film remains rewatchable. When the film’s reveal is displayed, the pieces fit together, but works in a more deeper way. When Angier, moments away from death, states to Borden, “You never understood, why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder, and then you... then you got to see something really special... you really don't know?... it was... it was the look on their faces...”. Angier is telling Borden he never knew what it was to be a true illusionist, a true magician, but in this viewer’s opinion, Angier lost sight of that too, in his quest to be superior to Borden. The film’s twist is open to certain parts of interpretation, but this is my opinion on this aspect.
Christopher Nolan has made better films, but none feels quite as complete as The Prestige. It’s certainly one of the most intriguing films of recent memory, and one of my top 20 favourite films of all time.