Everyone loves magic tricks. Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" 2006 is one of those films that cleverly tries to trick its spectators to jump on to self satisfying conclusions before realizing they were watching something somewhat like a magic trick of magicians trying to play god. Exactly told at the beginning of 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 work it out. You want to be fooled”. – Cutter (Michael Caine)

Played by Christian Bale as Borden and Hugh Jackman as Angier, the film sets in Victoria, England during the period era where theaters were packed audiences for magic shows and people who would anticipate those like an overhyped Hollywood summer blockbuster. High risks and near suicidal tricks where what most people are interested in. Perhaps it is the deadly nature of its failure that drives interest and not just the technicality or act of the trick itself. “Prestige” is a film about the backstage life of two rivals trying to invent unthought-of illusions out to defy the success of each that grew from anger, hatred to murder to feed the crave for dominance and popularity.

Alfred Borden preparing for the Chinese Water Torture Cell show

The movie strictly reminds and warns us on how obsession can consume and over control one if not addressed as it exposits what almost unreal lengths both characters would go towards the path of such pleasing. The scriptwriter imaginatively brings Tesla with his freak lab into the film who is also obsessed in his realm but is aware of its threats to build a so-called transporter machine for a show. The machine is metaphorically seen as the peak of evil and death from the continuous indulge in obsession.

Robert Angier Transporter machine

In perspective of the sturdy plot and progression, emphasis on set and era landscapes were seen to be lacking with camera angles always nearly focusing on the characters with. Well both characters are really the ball rollers here with the strong performance delivered. It is always nice to have a little bit of Caine in a movie like these. Michael Cain as always, does a fine job and sounds good on screen too. You might just believe anything that comes from his lips really. No forgetting the cold and almost eerie setting with frequent bluesih grading of the film makes it almost seeming like a psychological horror film.

The film is strange and disturbing but in a smart intriguing manner. With the almost never ending twisting and tricks that fools you, Christopher Nolan and his team brilliantly nailed on this one and knows what they were really doing and want to deliver. If felt as thou they were running their own magic masterpiece on a large scale.The film is highly recommended for those of you who are into mind twisters and trust me on this one.

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Trailer below:

This entry was posted by anthonyt, on Friday, October 8, 2010. You can leave your response.