Reach for the lasers Hugh!
The opening minutes set the tone for what follows. We are about to be enveloped in the seedy backroom bickering, thievery and subterfuge that is high level magic.
The narrator explains that every magic trick is performed in three parts:
The Pledge – The magician shows his tools and describes what is about to happen.
The two best magicians in the era happen to be in the same town and vying for the same audience. They were once partners, pulling the wool over the eyes of thousands of punters until competitive arrogance and ultimately tragedy divided them.
Borden (Christian Bale) is now the preeminent magician of his day. Yes magicians once apparently had a ‘day’. What his show lacks in theatricality it more than makes up for with proficiency, creativity and ‘WOW’ factor. The audience stands in awe and wonderment at how he pulls of his tricks.
Rival magicians do too…
Angier (Hugh Jackman) is the primary rival, the flashy handsome up and comer. He is funny and charming and always engages his audience. Only he doesn’t yet have a signature crowd pleasing trick. This seems the only impediment between Angier and greater fame, but it’s a big impediment, like saying I could be better than LeBron James if only I could play basketball.
The Turn – Essentially the ‘magic bit’. The steps taken to complete the trick.
Both Borden and Angier talk to Mr Cutter (Michael Caine), a trick designer and adviser to many magicians. Borden soon decides he needs no assistance, however Angier grills Cutter about just how Borden’s signature trick, ‘The Transporting Man’, is performed. Both have no real idea.
Angier’s resentment is palpable. No longer the jealous colleague, Angier is now obsessed with uncovering Borden’s secret. He seeks help with his own act, from the enigmatic and eccentric Tesla (David Bowie), a man experimenting with electricity, and the enchanting Olivia (Scarlett Johannsen), a shapely young acolyte who starts as Angier’s assistant but soon becomes his spy. He changes is name to The Great Danton and sets up a new show which promises to revive the artform.
And all the while Borden keeps blowing crowds away, always seeming to have the edge.
The Prestige – The end result of the trick is revealed with a flourish, ideally to rapturous applause.
The Prestige will have you second guessing yourself at every stage. As with every magic trick you’ll be thinking ‘it’s in the right sleeve’ when suddenly the dove appears from over there.
The acting in the film is uniformly great, Bale as the complicated and often aloof Borden crackles with intensity. Jackman plays Angier like the attention seeking kid in the schoolyard watching on while the cool kid displays his new toy. He wants so badly to be at the centre eliciting the oohs and aahs, but he can’t and it deeply troubles him. Caine is dignified as always as the sounding board Mr Cutter, and Scar-Jo brings her usual curves and husky voice to the table.
The typical magic audience seems to consist of two types; the ones willing to bring an open mind, ready to be blown away, and the guys there who think they are smart enough to work out the ruse, but are invariably angry and dismissive when they can not. Your opinion of The Prestige will likely fall into one of those two camps. Those willing to stay for the duration and submit to the experiment will likely find much to like, those who want to sneer at the conclusion and decry the film as pretentious crap will be given ammunition in the conclusion, but they’re the ones missing the show. And the point.
The Prestige might not work on every level, but once again Christopher Nolan has created an intricate and truly original film that is rewarding and challenging.
Final Rating – 8 / 10. A ventriloquist might have pushed this over the top…
