Caffeinated Clint
The performances are top notch all around – as expected with such a magical cast , with nobody phoning in/sleepwalking/obviously reading Jor El’s lines on the day – particularly one of the leads. Jackman is great; David Bowie has a nice cameo (playing historical genius Nikola Tesla, a character that catapults the plot from lush period fantasy to science fiction) but it’s the insanely detail-oriented (madder than a cut snake when it comes to ‘giving it all’ for a role this guy) Christian Bale (“Batman Begins”) who steals the show, exhibiting that polished motor control of a trained magician.
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis
ARE YOU WATCHING CLOSELY? – More of an admonition than a tag line for such an elaborate story.
A legitimately rousing and gripping movie – and if you ever had a fear of being picked as a magician’s volunteer, it will play like “Jaws” for you – even if it doesn’t have you under its spell for the entire duration, “The Prestige” is a two-hander starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman (or ‘Batman’ and ‘Wolverine’ to Comic-Con attendees) as old-style magic men out to one-up each other. Like that loud kid back at school, it’s a little too cocky for it’s own good – a director trademark, though – but you still can’t keep your eyes off it.
The kind of movie that you can’t take your eyes off the screen as you might miss the slight of hand that the rest of the story hinges on, its set in the early twentieth century with two apprentice magicians, Rupert (Jackman) and Alfred (Bale) who’s epic rivalry is set in motion when a trick goes wrong and kills Rupert’s wife. The title, “The Prestige”, refers to the final reveal of a magic trick and these two obsessed performers know no gruesome limits to out-magic each other. The guts of the film, I’ll save, for the screen.
The performances are top notch all around – as expected with such a magical cast , with nobody phoning in/sleepwalking/obviously reading Jor El’s lines on the day – particularly one of the leads. Jackman is great; David Bowie has a nice cameo (playing historical genius Nikola Tesla, a character that catapults the plot from lush period fantasy to science fiction) but it’s the insanely detail-oriented (madder than a cut snake when it comes to ‘giving it all’ for a role this guy) Christian Bale (“Batman Begins”) who steals the show, exhibiting that polished motor control of a trained magician.
Like any good magic show though, there’s always one play that isn’t quite as good as another. The weak link of this movie lies in the use of the two antiheros diaries stolen from each otherby each other as, well, story telling devices. The perspective bounces back and forth between characters and time periods like a school of rabbits that leap out of a top hat. And good lord, how many double identities can you have in one movie anyway?!? Personally, I haven’t been that mind-fucked since “Memento” – Lets see, who directed that one again? Ahh yes!….perhaps Christopher Nolan is just be too darn smart for his audiences.
But the trick I’m still trying to figure out is how two movies about turn of the century magicians seem to materialize almost simultaneously right before our very eyes. Perhaps evidence of another nepotistic Hollywood rivalry where everyone steals the same trick and tries to play it better. And who says life doesn’t imitate art?! To be fair, both “The Illusionist” and “The Prestige” are very enjoyable movies but like scoffing down a slice of rich mud cake, two pieces is two much.
Having said that, this is still a magical movie experience and one that again proves that solid storytelling, true acting and [mostly] original ideas are still at play in the fields of la-la-land.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Clare Bath
