Movie Review: The Prestige

by Alex Bentley

Director Christopher Nolan burst onto the scene with the utterly mesmerizing story-in-reverse Memento, and much like fellow overnight sensation M. Night Shymalan, he has spent the time since that breakthrough trying to recreate the same kind of quality. Insomnia had much the same mood as "Memento" but failed to entrance, while last year's Batman Begins was Nolan's mostly successful attempt to put his spin on a big budget action flick.

But it's obvious that Nolan's heart lies with the dark and twisting sensibilities of his debut film, and his latest, The Prestige, is a reminder that you can take the director out of the independent world, but you can't take the independent nature out of Nolan. "The Prestige" follows two rival magicians, (Hugh Jackman) and (Christian Bale), performing their acts in 18th century London. The two engage in an ever-increasing battle to one-up the other with the spectacular nature of their tricks, with both resorting to nefarious means to figure out each other's secrets. Their desire to best the other grows to the point of obsession, with each man willing to sacrifice many things for the sake of his art.

Performing magic on screen is a delicate act, as the process of moviemaking already simulates magic to a certain degree. Therefore, keeping the audience captivated by the tricks while also advancing the story is a fine line, and Nolan walks it well. He builds the suspense little by little throughout the film, careful never to give away too much too soon. There are multiple points where it seems he has slipped and shown his cards (no pun intended), only to be redeemed by the end of the film. And the answers to the mysteries in the film never seem forced in the wink-wink, nudge-nudge manner of other lesser dramas. Rather, Nolan, if anything, underplays the revelations, giving them an impact that's both subtle and forceful.

Both Jackman and Bale put just the right amount of dramatic oomph in their performances. Bale is especially good, biting into his role for all it's worth and matching Michael Caine (who plays Cutter, a confidante of both men) with a Cockney accent almost as good as Caine's natural one. Jackman ratchets up his emotions nicely, transforming from a light-hearted showman out to please into a fixated fanatic prepared to do anything to accomplish his goals. Scarlett Johannson makes an appearance, but her role gives her little to do except show off her many assets, making her influence on the film almost negligible.

Nolan has crafted a gripping, taut film that is the first of the fall season to truly be award-worthy. The Prestige uses magic as its jumping-off point, and builds upon with multi-layered characters, sharp conflict, and a mountain of intrigue.

This story was submitted by a member of the TexasGigs community