Film Review: The Prestige

Are you watching closely?

I came out of the cinema with JB roughly 30 mins ago and i am still thinking and wondering what i have just seen - this was an intriguing film full of many twists and turns that will leave you like me with numerous questions.

Christopher Nolan the genius director who brought to life the amnesic thriller Memento, the atmospheric noir Insomnia and most recently the resurrection of a comic legend in Batman Begins. Now brings us this, The Prestige. It seems everything he and his brother Jonathan (good name by the way) touch turns to cinematic gold as this movie centred around two rival magician's drips with luscious period detail and mystery that you can never fully believe what you're seeing due to clever mis-direction just like the perfomers use in the film.

The two rivals who start out as fellow performers and friends are played by Hugh Jackman (of X-Men fame) and Christian Bale (Batman Begins) are both excellent in their roles as our the supporting actors. Which are made up by the ever masterful Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson who has a top english accent btw, Andy Serkis (Gollum from LOTR) and even David Bowie.

The story moves around throughout, cutting back to earlier moments in each man's troubled lives seemlessly that you sometimes wonder which scene is a flashback. The mens obsession to out do each others tricks leads to many dangerous consequences that ultimately unravel their morals and ruin their families future, let alone their own lives.

Nolan gloriously brings this story to life in turn of the century London through rich costumes, set design and fine acting from all on screen, The Prestige is full of back and forth "aha" moments as well as sad tragic ones but its so gripping I want to go back and see it again now. (4.5/5)

See the trailer at:
http://theprestige.movies.go.com/