The Prestige [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of The Prestige [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: They're Magically Malicious
Summary: 5 Stars
Never has the world of illusion been as cleverly portrayed as it is in Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige." Much like a real magic show, it's filled with enough twists and turns to render even the most astute observer completely powerless. It's almost as if the film is daring the audience to guess the outcome, knowing full well that they won't even come close. It's manipulation to the extreme, and it makes the film's main question, "Are you watching closely?" all the more absorbing. How interesting that I allowed myself to fall for such trickery, especially since I usually don't like to be tricked. I can't recall the last time I enjoyed being this manipulated by a story; even the well-crafted "The Illusionist" didn't lure me in as deeply.
Maybe that's because "The Prestige" takes the illusory aspects one step further, first by telling the story out of sequence, second by including an intense rivalry. Taking place in London between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the plot concerns two magicians: the sly Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and the consumed American Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman). They follow a three-act formula used by all magicians. As described by the illusion technician Cutter (Michael Caine), they are as follows: act one is The Pledge, in which a magician displays an everyday object; act two is The Turn, in which that everyday object is made to do something extraordinary, such as disappear; and act three is The Prestige, in which the object reappears, dazzling an audience too afraid to applaud at the end of act two.
The problem is that they follow this formula even when they're offstage, with one relying on his showmanship skills to outdo the other. As the film progresses, their antics get increasingly ugly, especially in Angier's case. How did such hostility come into being? It directly relates to Angier's wife, Julia (Piper Perabo), who died as the result of a failed magic trick. Both Angier and Borden were initially employed as audience plants for a magic show, one that included Julia as the magician's assistant. The finale involved her being dropped into a locked water tank with her wrists and ankles tied. The tank was then covered for a short length of time. When the illusion was working successfully, she could slip out of the ropes and free herself. For the audience's perspective, it looked as if she magically transported out of the tank.
Her safety depended on the rope itself; in order to escape, a special knot had to be tied, one that would allow for easy loosening. After a while, Borden found that tying the same knot was too predictable; he wanted to tie a knot that looked more complex, as if to say to the crowd that she wouldn't be able to escape as easily. Only he and Julia thought the idea was worth a try, and because of that, we don't know for sure whether or not it was actually attempted. All we do know is that one night something went horribly wrong, and ultimately, Julia drowned in the tank. Even Cutter--who always waited offstage with an axe in case of such an emergency--was too late to save her (too bad CPR didn't exist in those days; there might have been a chance for her).
After the accident, the two men go their separate ways and star in their own magic shows. But for Angier, this doesn't mean that he's gotten over the whole mess; from his point of view, Borden is directly responsible for Julia's death. What's worse, Borden has a wife named Sarah (Rebecca Hall) and a daughter named Jess (Samantha Mahurin). Why does he deserve the family that Angier will never have? This ignites a vindictiveness Angier had never known before, a seething, white-hot vindictiveness that drives him into obsession. He's determined to ruin Borden's reputation, first by discovering the secrets to his greatest illusions, then by making them better. The trouble is that Borden refuses to give any of his secrets away; being a magician, he's committed to preserving the mysterious nature of an illusion. This goes double for The Prestige, which is always the most impressive act of a magic show.
A series of payback attempts are set into motion, most of which involve one man disguising as a spectator and volunteering during the other man's show. Several tricks are ruined, some people get hurt, and everyone comes away feeling humiliated. Cutter involves himself purely as an effects wizard and manager, rigging Angier up with the latest and greatest magic-making gizmos. But when he appoints a new assistant for Angier--Olivia Wenscombe (Scarlett Johansson)--the stakes are raised even higher. After an initially harmonious relationship, Angier shows his true nature by ordering her to become Borden's assistant; hopefully, earning the enemy's trust will give her access to valuable information. But it soon becomes clear that she has her own agenda, specifically when it comes to her affair with Borden.
And this brings to light a fairly intricate subplot. While Sarah has yet to discover the truth of her husband's infidelity, she's known right from the start that he often behaves differently, despite his constant professions of love. "There are days when you mean it," she says, insinuating that on other days, he's more in love with his magic tricks. It seems that with Borden, it's one evasion after another, with any attempt at personal discussion met with silence and vagueness. "Secrets are my life," he says simply; it's a line that initially seems forgettable but ultimately takes on a wealth of significance. By the end of the film, the audience will come to understand just how important this subplot is.
They will also come to understand how deep a hole Angier is digging himself into. He's become aware a new illusion called The Transported Man; the magician enters a door on one side of the stage and immediately exits through another door on the other side of the stage. Borden has been praised for performing this trick, and because of that, Angier just has to learn the secret. And it seems as if he will; Because of Olivia, he now has possession of Borden's coded diary, one that can only be deciphered with a specific keyword (incidentally, Angier is also keeping a diary). This keyword leads Angier back to America, specifically to Colorado. In a remote mountain area, he meets the reclusive Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) and his assistant, Alley (Andy Serkis), both of whom are working on a top-secret electric device.
This device may be the key to upstaging Borden and his Transported Man trick. I'm afraid I can't say how. I'm also afraid I can't say what the device actually does. I can say this: watching it work is both awesome and frightening. A central metal sphere shoots lightening bolts in all directions, all of which gain in intensity when an object is placed in the machine's center. It's both respected and feared, like all new inventions are. But the role it ultimately plays is too important for me to describe, especially since it's part of a trial subplot that's woven throughout the film.
How does it all come together? What of Angier, Borden, and Cutter? I shouldn't even be hinting at these questions, for I fear that I've already said too much. Like a live magic show, "The Prestige" depends on secrecy in order to be completely effective. It also depends on your willingness to be fooled; many times I thought I had things figured out, and many times I was proven wrong. Almost every plot point in this film is turned on its head, and they go in directions I never expected them to go in. Maybe the loose structure is partially responsible; if the story does in fact follow the magician's three-act formula, then each act is probably not where it should be. The Prestige may be at the beginning. Then again, it may not be. Are you watching closely?
Movie Review: Another masterwork psychological thriller from the Nolan brothers!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Pledge:
Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are ameteur magicians under the tutelage of a man named Cutter (Michael Caine). They all work together until one day a mishap with a water escape trick sees the death of Angier's wife who was an assistant in the act. Having previously debated over the use of various knots to tie up his wife, Angier suspects Borden of using one of the stronger knots he had forbidden. This causes an irrevocable rift between the two who end up becoming rival magicians. The obsessions of both men cause the rivalry to turn dangerous and eventually deadly. One of the first scenes of the film shows the death of one of the magicians so I'm not spoiling anything. The narrative then plays out as a combination of the aftermath where the remaining magician is on trial for the murder of the other as well as a series of flashbacks told through the other's journal that he reads while in prison.
Borden was always the better magician by far, but he lacked the showmanship to really sell his performances. Angier driven by the anger of his wife's death becomes consumed with learning Borden's tricks. He's convinced that he can crush Borden as a magician with his superior showmanship if he had the same act. One trick in particular becomes the object of Angier's obsession. It's an illusion he calls, "the greatest magic trick he's ever seen." It's called The Transported Man. He works with Cutter to try and figure the trick out. Cutter is convinced that Borden simply uses a double to pull of his disappearance/reappearance. Angier knows that it is Borden who both disappears and reappears in the trick, but he can find no other way to pull the trick off so he works with a double. With his superior showmanship, he's able to pull off a more impressive act, but it's not enough for him as it's his double that gets "the prestige." He simply must learn Borden's secret so he can pull off the act and get the prestige as well.
Things escalate from there. To talk any more of the plot would be to ruin the story. Suffice it to say, each magician battles their own demons and ventures further and further into hell as they try to ruin each other. You already know which one of them dies at the end and how, but what you don't know is how the story is going to resolve. It's obvious that in this movie about illusionists, there is more here than meets the eye.
The Turn:
Director Christopher Nolan is a master of the psychological thriller genre, and that's exactly what this film is. While many people will be watching this film for the twists and turns, the real meat is in the examination of these two fantastic and psychotic characters. Watching each of them break down over time consumed by their own ambitions and obsessions is both disturbing and fascinating to watch.
Nolan is also a genious when it comes to narrative. I omit his first name here because I'm not sure which Nolan deserves the most credit. The Prestige is the first film since Memento that brother Jonathan Nolan helped right. Like that film, The Prestige tells it's story in an unusual fashion. The use of flashbacks through journal entries is not new perhaps, but the idea of having flashbacks within a flashback as one journal accounts for the stories in yet another journal is quite novel. Yet, like Memento, the unusual narrative style isn't used for novelty. In The Prestige, just like Memento, the narrative style serves a very strong purpose.
Another great aspect of the film is how it itself plays out in the same fashion as a magic trick. The openning of the film has Michael Caine narrating the concept of a magic act in three parts: The Pledge, The Turn, and The Prestige. He goes on to tell you that even though you'll be looking to find out how it's done, you won't get it because you really aren't looking. I've heard a few complaints about this film and people claim they figured out the film's "trick" early on. I don't see how this is possible. I think many mistake the film's big reveal on the Transported Man for the real point. Like great magicians, the Nolans let you figure out what they want you to figure out so that all the while the real illusion carries out right before your eyes unnoticed.
Christopher Nolan again proves he's the finest director to hit the scene in some time. I don't need to tell you the acting is top notch. When you get this kind of talent working for this kind of director, it's a given. What really makes this film is the screenplay. It succeeds not only as a top notch thriller and mystery, but also an intriguing character study. The narrative for the story is brilliantly devised. From the set design, to the costumes, to the musical score, all the production values are top notch.
This is one of those films that is so hard to write a review for because to discuss some of the great things about the film is to reveal the film itself.
The Prestige:
The Prestige is easily one of the best films of the year. I'll be shocked if it doesn't at least get a nomination for the Best Screenplay Oscar. Like Memento it is a complex and tightly woven story that can't be completely digested in one viewing, though it certainly can be enjoyed. I caution viewers not to go into this film constantly looking to figure out the big twist. That is not the point of this film. Instead focus on the tragic story of these two characters of how they come together and ultimately come apart. The twists and turns will come, but they are all just part of the act.
Movie Review: Which Witch is Which?
Summary: 5 Stars
Set mostly in turn of the 19th Century London, THE PRESTIGE is a magical movie about two rival magicians who become engrossed in a lifelong contest of one-upmanship between each that results in death and destruction. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Bordon (Christian Bale) are two apprentice magicians who work under the same manager, Mr. Harry Cutter (Michael Caine). Angier and Bordon are both plants in the audience for a trick for another magician that involves tying his beautiful assistant up and lowering her into a locked huge container of water. The female assistant, Julia (Piper Perabo), also happens to be the wife of Angier. Bordon has been instructed numerous times to tie the knots on her hands a certain way, but he insists on using a different knot that looks better, but is more difficult to unravel. After one such performance, Julia is unable to untangle herself and ends up drowning in the tank. As a result, Cutter, Angier, and Bordon all find themselves out of work and the friendship between Angier and Bordon becomes a hated rivalry. Angier swears revenge, but after getting it isn't satisfied and goes on to steal one of Bordon's tricks. Back and forth the rivalry rages. It leads Angier to Colorado Springs and a meeting with famed inventor Nikola Tesla (David Bowie). Eventually, Angier returns to London for the final showdown between the two magicians. One is an illusionist, the other a true wizard. So, which witch is which?
I found THE PRESTIGE to be an enthralling movie that deserves multiple viewings. Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, have done an excellent job of adapting Christopher Priest's original novel. Film is a different medium than a novel and the Nolan's know that well. The movie is different than the book, but keeps to the spirit of the book, retaining all of the suspense and intrigue of the novel without giving anything away. Christopher Nolan uses some of the same filmmaking storytelling techniques he used in MEMENTO in THE PRESTIGE to keep the audience guessing exactly what is going on. The Nolan brothers also did a good job of making the characters of Algier and Borden to be both sympathetic and despicable; there are times when you feel compassion towards each of the characters, but what they do in their obsession to out do each other shows everyone just how cold-hearted they really are.
Bale and Jackman are at the top of their game as the rival showmen, while Caine gives a solid supporting performance as the man who assists both magicians during their deepest trials. Piper Perabo doesn't have much screen time, but I felt she was perfect as Julia. Scarlett Johansson portrays Olivia Wenscombe, the woman that both magicians fall in love with. Johansson is a very attractive woman and one of the most-in-demand actresses in Hollywood right now. However, I felt that out of all of the actors in the movie Johansson gives the most lackluster performance. Olivia has a central (though unwitting) role in the plot, but Johansson seems to have approached it as she does most of her roles, as a vixen who seems more interested in sleeping with different men and breaking up marriages, and doesn't really do much acting. The surprise performance in this film is that of David Bowie. Bowie portrays Nikola Tesla. David Bowie is one of the great rock musicians, but throughout his life he has acted in several different films. His performance here is the best of his acting career. I did not recognize Bowie at all and gives a perfect performance as the man who rivaled Edison.
THE PRESTIGE doesn't really raise or address any socio-economic questions (though it does touch upon the ultimate science question, just because you can do something does that mean you should do it). It's not necessarily a deep-thinking movie, though the movie does cause one to think. It's a very entertaining film that doesn't pretend to be anything that it isn't. It is an incredible movie at what it does do and for that it's one of the best films to be released in 2006.
Movie Review: Dark Magic
Summary: 5 Stars
After the release of the astoundingly good BATMAN BEGINS in 2005, it seemed clear that director Christopher Nolan's next project would be the sequel, so naturally it came as a surprise when he announced that his next project would be something else: an adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel THE PRESTIGE. Nolan has a history of following up good projects with extraordinary projects (FOLLOWING with MEMENTO, INSOMNIA with BATMAN BEGINS). As BATMAN BEGINS was an extraordinary project, Nolan was due for a good project. That's what I was expecting when I saw THE PRESTIGE: a good film. What I received was far greater than what I expected, because as it turns out, THE PRESTIGE is one of the finest films I have ever seen.
Trying to summarize the film would be a futile effort; the plot thickens immensely with each moment. The plot in its simplest form is as follows: in London at the end of the 19th century, two young rival magicians (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) compete to become the finest magicians alive. Bale seems to accomplish this after performing the ultimate magic trick; Jackman becomes obsessed with finding out Bale's secret and besting him. By the film's end, its beginning is a distant memory, and one may wonder how we, the viewers, arrived at its end at all.
That's not to say that watching the film is strenuous, though. Not at all. Watching THE PRESTIGE is a thoroughly captivating and ultimately haunting experience. What I am saying is that with a storyline of such depth, the film could fail miserably in the hands of a lesser director. Fortunately, Christopher Nolan is an immensely talented director, one who is nearly cemented in my mind as one of the finest directors alive today. He is a young master of filmmaking. Every shot, every scene, every performance, every moment in THE PRESTIGE is flawless, and that's thanks in no small part to Nolan.
Then there's the sensational cast, headed by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, two very talented actors who here are at the top of their form. The on-screen rivalry between the two is delicious, and each character is just flawed enough so you never side with either of them for long. The excellent supporting cast includes the consistently lovable Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Peter Jackson favorite Andy Serkis, and an unrecognizable David Bowie, as well as Piper Perabo, who has very little screentime. Surprisingly, Scarlett Johansson feels almost as though she's wasted and possibly being typecast in the role of "flaming temptress" (see also MATCH POINT).
David Julyan's score is very subtle, but its subtlety actually works extremely well, especially when combined with Wally Pfister's typically murky cinematography. Lee Smith, who also edited BATMAN BEGINS, has done a similarly fast-paced editing job. The pace could, at times, throw people off. At the beginning of the film, I was virtually clueless about what was happening. Advice to those planning on seeing the film: sit it through and enjoy the ride. It'll all sort itself out by the end.
A film like THE PRESTIGE could wind up like a failed magic trick: interesting, perhaps, but ultimately silly and a waste of time. THE PRESTIGE, however, is every bit as astounding as the "ultimate magic trick" performed within the film. It's a stellar effort from everyone involved. The film itself is the most delightful of cinematic magic tricks, the rare film that not only surpasses your expectations, but leaves you speechless. Personally, I'm surprised that the film hasn't received overwhelmingly positive reviews; in fact, many have even been rather negative. Maybe with all the cliched dramas and horror remakes that have emerged recently, film audiences are losing their ability to handle a well-made film, even if it is as complex as THE PRESTIGE. Don't let its complexity put you off from seeing it, though: THE PRESTIGE is not only one of the finest films of the year, it's very probably one of the finest films I've ever seen.
Movie Review: Prestigious
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the third film to be released in 2006 that deals with magicians and the second of the three to take place in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. It is also the second to star Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. However, each film has been unique and this one is probably the best of the three (The Illusionist is a close second and Scoop is a distant third).
Telling the story of two rival magicians over the course of a few years (starting somewhere in the 1890s and ending around 1900), The Prestige is a great story of love, revenge, duality, and mystery.
Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) start out as assistants to a fairly prominent magician. They are "plants"; they pretend to be audience members brought on stage to assist with a trick. Known as the Water Escape, the magician's female assistant, who is also Angier's wife, is bound and lowered into a tank of water only to escape within seconds. However, when Borden alters the knot he ties to make it look harder to untie, he inadvertantly causes her to drown. This starts a bitter rivalry between Angier and Borden; they each strive to become famous magicians and outdo the other. Angier disrupts one of Borden's shows, so Borden in turn does the same. As the story continues, Angier hires Harry Cutter (Michael Caine), a man whose profession is to build the devices magician's use for their illusions, and Olivia Wenscombe (Johannson) to be his new assistant. Meanwhile, Borden tends to perform shows by himself. We soon learn that while Borden is definitely the better magician (he can instantly spot how his colleagues perform even the most baffling illusions), he is a terrible showman. Even though his act is comprised of great illusions, he cannot keep the audience interested. Angier on the other hand is a wonderful performer; he knows how to engage the audience and build up tricks. However, he is nowhere near the magician that Borden is. Despite Angier's self-realized inferiority, the rivalry continues to heat up, and despite the warnings of Cutter, Olivia, and even scientist Nichola Tesla (David Bowie) of what an obsession can do to a man, they each try to continually outdo the other.
The story is not told linearly. It starts out near the end with Borden being arrested, and most of the movie is a flashback due to Borden reading Angier's diary in prison. However, there are plenty of flashbacks within the flashback, as there are scenes where Angier is describing in his diary of reading Borden's diary. Though this may sound confusing, it is actually fairly easy to keep track of where scenes fall in continuity. Directory Christopher Nolan, who also did the amazing Memento and Batman Begins, is a master of non-linear story-telling, and this film is no exception.
The central mysteries of the film are very well-done; they are interesting and have good payoffs, but the best part about them is that there are enough clues for them to be figured out. They are not easy to figure out, but keen observers may be able to piece certain things together to find the answers (I was able to put most of the stuff together, but I did miss one or two details). This doesn't take away from the film at all, in fact it enhances it and makes it fun to try and see where things are going.
Everything about The Prestige is well done, from the acting to the effects to the writing. There's a reason why it was the number 1 film at the box office after its first weekend, so make sure you don't miss this.