One of my favorite performances to watch, on screen or on stage,
is magic. It's an exciting subject that, although it isn't necessarily
wizardry, is exhilarating and enticing, establishing new twists and turns with
the use of modern technology. The most recent, as many know, is the
recent hit Now You See Me,
a film about a con job using magic but was smothered with too much boring
detective work rather than the super cool magic patrons expected. Let's
take a trip back, however, to the late 19th century, when magic was difficult
to pull off, and the auditoriums were packed just for a one-hour show of
wonder.
The Prestige is a film about two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh
Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who consistently make jabs at each
other in order to destroy their careers in Europe in the late 1800s.
Borden performs the ultimate trick, the Teleporting Man, stunning Angier
and leading him to the ambition of stealing the trick. His partner Cutter
(wonderfully played as usual by Michael Caine) insists that Borden is using a
double and that is the only way, but Angier refuses to accept that theory and is driven to find the "real secret" because of his passion
of magic. He turns to his assistant, Olivia (Scarlett Johansson), to find
the trick by working for him, but immediately switching perception of which is
the better magician. The rest is all a bunch of twists and shocks that no
audience would expect the first time watching.
The film, despite earning $100 million in
the box office when it was released in 2006, went under the radar and up to now
is one of the least talked-about films by the great British director
Christopher Nolan. It should become relevant in discussion of films, as
it makes a powerful impact on the audience and is one the better modern
classics of the 21st century. Expectations were high coming into this
film, and they were exceeded by the wonders of gorgeous sets, creative makeup
costumes, and smooth editing. This film is proudly comparative to some of
the best technology use Nolan has used for his films.
The film has a masterful ensemble cast, as
Jackman and Bale make for one of the best rivalry pairs this side of Ledger and
Bale. The two are undoubtedly the strongest performances in the film and
are Nolan's most convincing lead characters along with Leonard Shelby.
Scarlett Johansson is heartfelt as the sympathy-driven Olivia, who has
one of the most captivating transformations of any character who evolves with
the interactions between Angier and Borden. Piper Perabo and Rebecca
Hall, playing Angier and Borden's love interests respectively, are as complex
as they are beautiful on screen, as Nolan takes time to delve into the
relationships and how they impact the magicians and how they also behave as
husbands, as they will go to the farthest degree to ruin the other. Andy
Serkis and David Bowie are also quite memorable as the scientists in Colorado,
and are well-developed for small supporting characters.
Of course, the most moving performance out
of them all is by the great Michael Caine as Cutter. He always has the
presence of respect that not many other actors his age can pull off as well as
he can. Though Caine feels reminiscent of other Caine characters in Nolan
films, he is very eloquently-spoken, with a calm tone to his voice that can
soothe a baby to sleep, even in a powerful scene when he raises it.
Cutter serves as the watch over what happens through Angier's ambitions
and Borden's ability, and even advises him
to stop at points, but his devotion to
magic is what keeps him from abandoning Angier.
The Prestige is a thought-provoking film that is too exciting to turn
away from. The film is proud of being something more than what is advertised.
It is full of substance with perfection written all over it, and is one
of the best historical thrillers of all time. And between this and Now You See Me, The Prestige definitely takes the cake.
4/4.
