The Prestige

The Prestige (2006)... what a cracking film! 

From director Christopher Nolan, you can expect nothing less than brilliance after his other successful blockbusters, known well for directing Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception. This creation lives up to those titles! 

Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine, the plot follows the rivalry between two great magicians in London, both trying to out-perform the other with increasingly elaborate and creative illusions, amazing their audiences and infuriating the other. As they seek for the competitive edge, the results become more dangerous and tragic consequences follow.

True to form, Nolan laces the film with a dark and mysterious feel, grabbing your attention, right till the end credits! The theme of obsession certainly compliments the secrecy from both magicians throughout.

Cutter (Michael Caine): "Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige"."

This film kept me guessing the whole time, from the small illusions through to the bigger plot, I was hooked the whole time, looking for  the secrets, trying to figure out the mystery. It draws you in and you can't get out until you finish the movie, and even then you are left in amazement, surprised and with admiration for this outstanding screenplay. I do not know how people come up with these ideas which, although are separate, intertwine throughout the movie and then come together neatly. Hats off to the writers and director, and of course the cast, being of such a high calibre, play their parts perfectly. 

Definitely deserves the respect and admiration the title implies! A MUST watch...but watch closely, because once the secrets and twists are out, it wont be as enjoyable, so pay attention to first time!!!

Rating: 9/10

CH