The Prestige - a Magical and Twisted Tale

After seeing only one promotional commercial for The Prestige, I was hooked. Christian Bale of American Psycho and Batman Begins and Hugh Jackman of X-Men and Kate and Leopold, star as competing magicians Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier. They're both fantastic. I'm used to Bale portraying disturbed characters but Jackman is surprisingly convincing as an obsessive, somewhat deranged personality. They both make you believe their pain and crazed obsession. These two alone are enough to make for some great movie viewing. However the supporting cast is also amazing, consisting of Michael Caine as the level-headed designer Cutter and the immensely talented Scarlett Johansson (who is somewhat underutilized) as the gorgeous assistant Olivia. David Bowie is understated yet slightly creepy as electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, a man who seems to have seen his share of evil.

The story

The movie is based on the novel by Christopher Priest (with screenplay and direction by Christopher Nolan). It takes place in London in the 1870s and opens with Alfred Borden on trial for murder. Flashbacks then begin to tell the story of the ill-fated friendship and rivalry of magicians Borden and Angier.

Borden and Angier start out working together with Angier's wife in a magic act involving her being tied up and dropped into a tank of water only to emerge moments later. However, Borden wants to try tying a different knot, which Angier believes leads to his wife's drowning one night before Cutter can smash through the glass tank. Thus begins the journey of rivalry, obsession and revenge.

Some time later, you see Angier's acts, though backed with money and resembling a David Copperfield show, are fraught with problems. Borden's, on the other hand are grittier and resemble David Blaine performances. Their competition leads to Borden being maimed by Angier in a bullet catching trick and Angier needing a cane after Borden removes a mat from under a trapdoor.

Borden masters a "Transported Man" trick which draws large crowds and acclaim. This enrages Angier who becomes obsessed with finding his secret. With Cutter's and a beautiful new assistant's help, he finds a look a like to make it appear that Angier is entering a doorway at one end of the stage and exiting another almost immediately several yards away. The look a like is a drunk and undependable so Angier has his assistant Olivia steal Borden's diary of tricks. Though Angier is in a relationship with Olivia, he is willing to sacrifice her for Borden's secrets. Borden then becomes involved with Olivia despite the fact that he's married.

When Borden receives the diary, he realizes it's encoded. So Angier, in his ever escalating desperation, buries Borden's assistant and demands the decoder word as ransom. The word is "Tesla", which leads Angier to Colorado Springs in search of the scientist. There, Angier finds a remote lab on a snow covered mountain surrouned by electrified fence. Tesla tries to convince Angier that what he seeks will only lead to calamity. Still, Tesla develops an electric transporting machine for Angier that doesn't seem to work despite several attempts.

A thoroughly crazed Angier returns to London with the machine. He invites Cutter to witness this creation which appears to truly transport him across the theatre. After a short time, Angier the most successful magic show of its time. Borden, of course, soon led by curiosity and continuing rivalry sneaks backstage to find the secret behind the trick. He is shocked to find Angier trapped in a glass tank of water unable to escape. Borden is then accused of Angier's murder which leads back to the opening of the story.

I won't give away all the details or the ending but there are more twists and turns in this film (especially in the last 15 minutes) than a mountain road. You will be shocked, surprised, and possibly scratching your head, trying to figure out exactly all that happened. Four of us went together to see this movie and we all "compared notes" to straighten it out.

Special Effects

I remember hearing that the special effects take the place of real slight of hand in this film thereby killing the "magic". I disagree. While the special effects help the movie, without them it's still a great story. On a low budget the plot, with all its twists, is still fascinating and mind boggling. Many of the effects such as the use of "twins" could be done with fairly basic technology that was used 30 or 40 years ago. The special effects do not overshadow the acting or the story. If those two things suffer, no amount of special effects can really save a film.

Not for the faint of heart or shallow of mind

This film is a dark thriller with some fairly nasty scenes of drowning, maiming, and birds being crushed. There were a few times I jumped in my seat or gasped and looked away from the screen.

The constant flashbacks, change in time and location, twists, and use of twins can make the story a bit confusing. Think of the film Memento (also directed by Nolan). The flashbacks make it interesting but force you to constantly think back in the film to understand what's going on. It's definitely not mindless entertainment but a tale that is as fascinating and complicated as a magic trick itself. Like a magic trick, the ending is disturbing yet satisfying.