Review: The Prestige (2006)

'Making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back.'

★★★½

Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in "The Prestige (2006)."

That line is said by John Cutter (Michael Caine) and it is one of many quotes in this film that is both educational and wise. Who would've thought that a thriller regarding magic would become such a hit? "The Prestige" is a film directed by Christopher Nolan who is known for films like The Dark Knight Trilogy, "Oppenheimer (2023)," "Insomnia (2002)," and "Inception (2010)." Nolan is a master at craft and one of Hollywood's finest directors. This film shows how well this man knows and loves cinema.

The film stars out in London with Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), once partners until the tragic death of an assistant during a show, feud bitterly after one of them performs the ultimate magic trick, teleportation. feud bitterly after one of them performs the ultimate magic trick, teleportation. In a desperate attempt to figure out the secret of his routine, his adversary experiments with risky new science, driving him to the verge of madness and endangering the lives of everyone in their immediate vicinity. This film's plot is great; there's a beginning, middle, and end. While the pacing may seem slow, it helps flow the story along nicely without having to rush everything. A problem I feel like other films suffer from.

I love the casting of this film. Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, and Daniel Davis. They all play their parts well, and I know that people will look for the "magic" or learn how to do magic, but that was the least of my exceptions. I was more thrilled with the story, the characters, the acting, the cinematography, and the set design. But what really resonated with me was the story and the characters. I can't tell if it's Nolan's directing, or the actors are just too damn good at their jobs. Either way, perfect casting, and perfect directing.

However, as I said before, people may be disappointed with the lack of "educational magic." But that's okay! The film isn't about the magic. Sure, it's part of the story and all, but it's an aspect that complements the story rather than dominates it. If only we got to learn a thing or two about magic or how to do a magic trick would've been a nice little "interactive" aspect to include, but what we've got is pure entertainment. Let's not forget about that insane twist at the end. That's how you do a plot twist! No need to rush it, allow it to flow in and massage it onto our eyes and ears. Nolan handled it perfectly and followed the rule of "show, don't tell."

Truly such a marvelous piece of film. This film is quite captivating; it's moody, fixated, and somewhat demonic.