THE PRESTIGE

Cole's Rating: B+

Uncle Jesse's Rating: B

Year: 2006

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Micheal Caine

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller

MPAA Rating: PG-13

       Before watching this movie, I was not prepared to be taken inside the brilliant and fearless mind of a magician. Nor was I prepared to be shown the obsession that can consume a man. But, this is what happened. The Prestige is a film about Alfred Bordon (Christian Bale), who is a magician that is accused of his rival, Robert Angier’s (Hugh Jackman) death. While in jail, awaiting his death penalty, he reads the diary of Angier’s, which takes us through the events leading up to the present time in the movie. And it really is as complex as it sounds, maybe even too complex for enjoyment. But one of the things I occasionally enjoy in a film is the requirement for higher knowledge and thinking when it's well done. This one requires, no, demands that.

      Christopher Nolan has done it yet again! Let me just say that I believe he is a genius; and I am fascinated with his movies. He produced this film in 2006, after his movie Memento, which I have viewed multiple times and still haven’t fully grasped. His latest achievement to date is The Dark Knight Rises, which I saw as one of the best of the year 2012.

       The cast is one of the great things about this movie. Hugh Jackman’s presence in the film was a big positive for me, as was Christian Bale’s. They played the perfect rivals in the perfect setting. Something about Hugh Jackman makes him appear as a wise, cunning, but real life magician. And Christian Bale is another good fit, seemingly comfortable out of his batman suit. But both of these magicians need a stage accompaniment, that is Scarlett Johansson, who kept the film interesting with the conflict that involved her intervening with both magicians. It’s also odd how Michael Caine and Christian Bale both excelled in the movies that they were together in that were directed by Christopher Nolan, that being The Dark Knight series, and this. Michael Caine played both magicians’ mentors. That’s another thing I loved about this film, two less significant characters had important roles in both of the main characters’ lives. It’s not an idea exercised often, and for good reason too. I can see how it could’ve gone wrong in this film. Luckily, it didn’t.

       Whether you want to be challenged or intrigued, the movie will provide all of that, thanks to the cunning direction of Nolan. You just have to pay attention because if you don't, then you won't understand a darn thing. It’s a movie that you have to watch multiple times, focused entirely. This may sound like a chore, but after seeing it, you’ll see that its not an obligation, but something of a privilege. 

Written by Cole Pollyea