Movie Reviews
There are certain people who were born to tell stories, and tell them flawlessly, and director Christopher Nolan happens to be one of them. His fledgling film career is already one of the more admirable in a long time, dishing out wholly original, engaging movies. “The Prestige,” in that aspect, is no different.
Plot wise, I won’t tell you much because Nolan’s style here requires total ignorance to the film structure and much of the storyline. Looking into the film or asking about it before seeing it would be unwise. You don’t want to know too much about it or the surprise(s) is (are) ruined.
In saying that, “The Prestige” centers on the friendly rivalry between magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) that spirals into an unhealthy obsession with each others’ act. The title of the film refers to the third part of a magic trick, following the "pledge" and the "turn." The prestige is the part of the trick that makes the magic real – or else, not so real. At any rate, it’s the part that makes the audience cheer. With Cutter (Michael Cane) as a back-and-forth manager for the two (sometimes at once, sometimes separately), the two rise in the magic business.
Yet again, Nolan – co-writing the screenplay with his brother, Jonathan – exudes a strong internal understanding for what simply works. Some things in film are a judgment call, no text book answers to help you, and Nolan has that natural born aptitude.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of “The Prestige” is the sheer intrigue. Beginning with a narration explaining the anatomy of a magic trick with Cutter, Nolan intercuts between two parallel scenes: one a simple trick performed by Cutter to a small child, one a grand illusion performed on stage in front of an audience. This first parallel is not a gimmick, but merely a gateway into how the rest of the story is told. Weaving through a tapestry of deceit and greed, Nolan – as usual – flashes backward and forward in storyline, chronicling the rise and fall (sometimes the fall and rise, and sometimes the rise/fall, fall/rise) of two men’s careers and the fine line between loving your business and living your business. And again, the plot is only confusing when it is supposed to be.
Forgetting the script, “The Prestige” is a period piece, set during the late nineteenth century. The photography is pitch-perfect. Where Nolan’s “Insomnia” focused on the blues and grays, “The Prestige” rests in a warmer area: reds, browns, yellows. Reflecting a strong sense of how things should look only confirms how talented Nolan is; many directors are great with scripts, and many are great with photography. Few are great with both.
Christian Bale and Michael Cane return with Nolan. Bale achieves a creepy sense of sincerity and menace, as does (not coincidentally) Hugh Jackman. Bale is famous for never playing similar roles, and “The Prestige” reminds us why. Michael Cane, too, is reminding us why he’s never faltered from the movies in his long career. He oozes with the wisdom of an actor who was at the top of his game thirty years ago, and continues to be thirty years later.
And that script. I can’t seem to say enough about it. Layer upon layer, parallel upon parallel, Nolan builds a story of boundless mystery. Yes, there are twists along the way, but it’s not about that. With a film such as this, it’s about what steps got us to that point, and whether or not logic supported the construction of those steps. Without giving away too much, I encourage you to actually sit back, relax, and enjoy the film. Let the craftsmanship transcend your need to figure out those twists. ****