REVIEW: The Prestige

I saw The Prestige at the Los Feliz 3 cinemas on Friday October 27. Christopher Nolan has directed another absolutely excellent movie, following his successes with Memento (My favorite movie of 2000), Insomnia and last year's Batman Begins. I was surprised by the somewhat tepid reviews on KPCC's Film Week program last weeek, so I didn't go see it earlier, but that made me all the more pleasantly surpised by the clever script, taut acting and beautiful cinematography which I experienced in the theater watching The Prestige. The film has also been embraced by viewers and most other critics, opening at #1 with a weaker than expected $14 million last weekend, beating out Martin Scorcese's highly touted The Departed and Clint Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers.

The screenplay is co-written by Christopher Nolan with his brother Jonathan Nolan, the same team which also co-wrote Memento. The story is based on a novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. "The Prestige," the audience is told in an opening monologue narrated by the always impeccable Michael Caine, is the third and final act of every magic trick. The first two parts are "The Pledge" and "The Turn." The movie is also structured into three parts, with the most impactful moment coming in the final seconds of the film. In addition, the movie reveals the secret behind certain magic tricks (pulling a rabbit or dove out of a hat) while teasing the audience to try and figure out how the central magic trick of the movie is done. The movie also foreshadows later revelations with earlier information that if you "are watching closely" can allow the audience to solve the puzzle before the final frame. The movie also uses the standard magician's technique of misdirection to try to delay the moment of realization by the audience, to great effect.

Christian Bale's Alfred Borden and Hugh Jackman's Robert Angier are apprentice magicians in late 19th century London to a behind-the-scenes man, Michael Caine's Cutter.
Scarlett Johanssen's breasts have a co-starring role as the magician's assistant (at different times) for both magicians. After a magic trick which goes tragically wrong Borden and Angier become increasingly bitter and somewhat violent rival magicians. Using the now-familiar device of telling us the end of the story first, the audience is put into the position of sleuths trying to figure out how and why one of the main character's is in jail for the murder of the other main character. During the course of the story there are double and triple crosses, and some very nice voice-over work by Bale and Jackman when the plot follows the secret diaries of both magicians.

Despite having a 91% rating from users at RottenTomatoes.com (with an ouch! 73% rating from critics), the movie has been pulling in only middling attendance numbers. I do think the marketing was a bit muddled. It probably wasn't clear to many casual observers how (or if) this movie was diffferent from the other Fall battling magician's movie, The Illusionist with Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel. However, that movie was directed by disgruntled Crash producer Bob Yari. I have heard some people think The Illusionist is a better movie (91% users rating, 75% critics rating at RottenTomatoes) but I find that hard to believe.

GRADE: A-.