Review of The Prestige (2006) by Kia M — 06 Mar 2013

Two experienced magicians, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, are caught in a web of deception as they seek out and try to surpass each other's skills. Much like other Nolan movies, the narrative is filled with skillful time jumping and has a noirish tone keen to the Victorian Age setting in London, exemplified by the trickery at the hands of a woman (Scarlett Johansson), who creates reasonable doubt in her allegiance to each magician.

Michael Caine is another source of unpredictability as a show manager who provides for both rivals at first before an accident involving the wife of Angier (Jackman), leads him to support Angier's plans, as it seems Borden (Bale) has the upper hand.

They consistently attend each other's shows in a disguise to observe the illusion in front of them and then foil the act. When this proves no further progress for either of them, Angier turns to an energy pioneer (David Bowie) to invent more scientific technology for future acts.

Meanwhile, Borden struggles to deal with his marital issues and balance his career with his family life. This only increases when Olivia (Johansson) is sent by Angier receive information on his techniques, and causes Angier to believe that Olivia has switched sides and revealing his own secrets to Borden.

The movie itself resembles a magic trick in that it has a set-up, a disorienting change of appearance, and then the conclusion in which the subject is restored, while providing spectacle and twists before reaching its open-ended closure, which is one trick indeed.