The Prestige

Christopher Nolan is fast becoming one of my favourite directors, after hitting the mainstream with Memento he has gone on to make varied but thematically similar films since with Insomnia, Batman Begins and now The Prestige which is the film most reminiscent of Memento and sees the director return to the world of mysteries and puzzles, all deftly crafted with a magicians eye for detail. Adapted from Christopher Priest’s novel of the same name The Prestige concerns itself with two turn of the century magicians played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, each equally impressive in their respective roles. Initially partners a tragedy pulls them apart and the film charts their attempts to compete to become the greatest magician of the time, specifically over one trick, the disappearing man. Bale plays Alfred Borden a naturally gifted magician who struggles with the presentation of his act. Jackman’s Robert Angier is the opposite, a consummate showman he has to employ Michael Caine’s Cutter to design his tricks and enable him to stay one step ahead of his rival. I will say no more of the story as the best way to enjoy this film is going in knowing as little as possible; half the fun comes from the twists and turns in the story and piecing together exactly what it is you are being shown. Nolan is a master when it comes to structuring a mystery and this is evident throughout The Prestige. He manages to keep you intrigued and puzzled, but never tricked or cheated. The answers are all presented to you and if you can spot what is going on is makes the unfolding all the more rewarding. This is not a ‘twist’ film in the traditional sense, the film does not revolve around the mystery, there is a lot more going on. Themes of duality and sacrifice run throughout the often dark tale, and the sense of dread and atmosphere created is marvellous and subtle, the fact that this is a period film is hardly realised, Nolan sucks you into the world and simply presents it to you. The cast are uniformly great; Caine is still producing wonderful performances at this stage in his career, with this and Children of Men showing different sides to his character this year alone. Scarlett Johansson manages a surprisingly decent British accent but her character is the thinnest of the bunch and not developed as much as the others. Overall this is a great film, it is wonderfully and confidently constructed by a director at the top of his game. The film does rely on a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and a central theme you have to embrace to fully appreciate, but overall for a cinema trip that is challenging and rewarding and that makes you think, you’d be hard pressed to find a better film around than this. A wonderfully constructed and executed mystery, this is a conveluted and original tale with fantastic performances and a kick in the tale that will send you spinning. Highly recommended.