The Prestige
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Movie Reviews of The Prestige
Movie Review: Ilusion requires sacrifice and self sacrifice
Summary: 5 Stars
The plot starts innocent and entertaining but becomes dark, twisted, and evil. Robert, Alfred, and Robert's wife are part of the act and Robert and Alfred are pulled from the audience for the act. Robert's wife is tied with a rope which Alfred brother ties. Alfred claims he does not know the type of knot tied on Robert's wife. Alfred meets Julia and eventually marries her and has a daughter together.
Alfred newest trick involves himself catching a bullet from a member of the audience using a gun that Alfred loads but has a way to eject the bullet before detonation. Alfred demostrate the secret with Julia shortly. Robert arrives on scene during the illusion and points the gun at Alfred demanding to know what type of knot tied on his wife in the lethal water trick where Cutter fails to break the glass in time. Alfred tells Robert he can not be certain and Robert shoots away two of Alfred's fingers - Oliva later reveals to Alfred the secret his hand and the difference in his brother's hand and is allowed in. Alfred's disquises his brother as an assistent. The assistent never talks and Alfred decides to remove two of his brother fingers forcing his brother to always wearing gloves.
The transporter man illusion: Robert becomes obsessed with discovering the secrets of the transporter man trick. Cutter and Robert create a clever version of trick without understanding the mystery.
Robert manages the trick using a double that Oliva finds and Cutter trains. The trick works with two swinging doors remote from each other; as the door opens a trap door activates allowing Robert to fall below and his look to be hoist upward using a lift platform and emerge through the second door. Robert bows to the audience under the stairs and Alfred laughs at Roberts humilation. Eventually, Alfred exposes Roberts illusion and makes a mockery of the double and steals back the audience back.
Robert sends Oliva his assistent to steal the secret of the transporter man from Alfred. Oliva tells Alfred that she was sent to steal his secrets, reveals Alfred's secret, and tells him she is done with Robert. Oliva falls in love with Alfred (brother) and manages to steal Alfreds handbook of tricks. The books requires a cipher to decode and is useless without it. Roberts obsession drives him to trap the assistent and Cutter assists in putting him in a coffin.
Once Alfred's assistent is captured and buried alive, Robert baits Alfred to the cemetry and demands the keyword; Alfred gives Robert the keyword and desparately diggs out his brother who is buried alive. Alfred reveals the word tesla in exchange for the life of Alfred's assistent. Robert request Tesla to build him the machine that Alfred has requested and provided an endless amount of funding.
Julia becomes dissatisifed with Alfred's affair with Olivia and asks Alfred (brother), "do you love me?" for which the brother says, "not today". Julia hangs herself.
Robert is angry with Tesla about deals. The first demonstration was thought to have failed, but worked unbeknownest to the party. In the second demonstration a cat is duplicated. Tesla's machine can create a second dimensional object and materialize an object in a different location.
Edison's men destroy Tesla lab, but the machine is delivered to Robert. Tesla's brillance is protrayed and depicted as the creator of Frankenstein, a wizard of electricity. Telsa technology demonstrated include wireless power, the lightening machine, and AC power generation. Telsa complains that people are not ready to except the extraordinary and so the extraordinary must be presented as magic.
Robert uses the machine to create a second copy of himself which he always kills. Robert and Cutter rise to fame throughout London. Robert changes his name to the "Great Dante". Robert puts Alfred out of business with the Tesla act transporter act. The tide turns and Alfred must know the secret; Alfred runs behind stage during the final act and sees Robert fall into the glass water closet; Robert's double dies from drowing; and Alfred is tried and convicted of murder during the final
stage performance of Robert's career. Alfred is sentenced to death by hanging.
Alfred's brother is hung, Alfred finds Robert throught the help of Cutter, and Alfred shoots Robert. Alfred then tells Robert the secret to the transporter act was his twin brother. Robert dies and Alfred meets Cutter who is caring for his daughter.
The plot is evil, in that it uses murder for gain, animal and human sacrifice to false gods, deception instead of truth as a reality, and brillance over love. The characters are filled with self aggrandisement and glory in their achievements. In the end there are large loses for both men. Alfred looses Julia and his brother; Robert loses his wife and Oliva; and Cutter looses his staff, prestige, and the act; Alfred's family suffered as Alfred must raise his daughter alone; Alfred and his brother can never experience stable and lasting lvoe from either Oliva and Julia because them have split personalities which fustrate and infuriate the two; Alfred and Robert suffered because of their obsession with illusion and the merciless perfection of the trade; both lose real love in pursuit of vanity and illusion. Robert covets the vain praise an cheers of the audience affection even as he died. Likewise, Alfred confesses to Robert's double that illusion is a dark master, enslaving him, being cruel, and making him an unforgiving disciple (Cain/Abel). For both Robert and Alfred, the illusion was a curse and the craft a realm of cruel deception; neither man could understand how the craft hand destroyed them.
Movie Review: Pay close attention, this is one of the best films you'll ever see...
Summary: 5 Stars
`The Prestige' opens with the death of magician Robert Anglier. His chief rival Alfred Borden is standing trial for his murder although it appears he's innocent. As `The Prestige' unveils its many layers the audience is taken deep into the lives of these two men, into what made them who they are, what drove them apart and into rivalry and what ultimately will become of each man in the end. At doing this `The Prestige' excels masterfully. Director Christopher Nolan is building quite the reputation for himself. He expertly crafts this film, layering each newfound discovery about these men so that the audience is completely entranced. He uses his cast as they should be, allowing them to shine yet never overpower the brilliance of the film or give away too much of themselves too soon. `The Prestige' is one of those near perfect films that comes along only once in a great while, a film that one can truly adore, stand behind and find fascinating with every viewing. That's one of the greatest things about `The Prestige'. With each and every viewing the audience is able to spot more pieces of the puzzle, things throughout the film they had never caught before but now know to look for.
The storyline is engrossing as well, and that as we know is truly the most important facet to a film of this caliber. The film follows the lives of two rival magicians as I mentioned, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden. Robert and Alfred at one time worked together as assistants to another well known magician. Despite what some of the reviews would have you believe, they were not friends. In fact it's quite obvious that Robert does not trust Alfred, not in the least. When a mistake on the part of Alfred's costs Robert's wife Julia her life he vows to avenge her. As the magicians go their separate ways Robert's obsession grows. He sabotages Alfred's shows, and Alfred retaliates likewise. Things truly take a turn for the worse though when Alfred incorporates an act in his show that cannot be understood or duplicated. This drives Robert mad and he desperately works to uncover his secret. In search for answers he develops a nifty trick of his own thanks in large part to a scientist named Tesla, and with his new trick firmly in tact he sets out to destroy Alfred once and for all.
The climax of this film, which takes us back to the beginning almost and unveils the mystery behind Anglier's death, is utterly orgasmic, at least to me and everyone who has watched the film with me so far. The film is slow paced yet entrancing and so when the ending creeps up on you after strongly built anticipation you'll be kicking yourself for not picking up on it. The greatest thing about the conclusion is that after the credits start to roll you'll be trying to place all the pieces together and will desire to watch the film once more to see if you missed something, which most likely you have.
The acting is brilliant as well, especially on the part of Christian Bale. Bale has always been one of my favorite actors but he never seems to pick a movie that is as well crafted as his skill. In films like `American Psycho' and `The Machinist' he proves to be the best part of the film and without him the movie kind of falls apart. Here though he finally found a film worth his talent. He is so commanding, so engrossing and just as intriguing as the film itself; most definitely best in show. High Jackman is also quite impressive. He had a great year in 2006, and while I preferred his performance in `The Fountain' I must say that I was blown away here as well. Michael Caine, one of our finest working actors, a true legend, does not disappoint and delivers an outstanding supporting performance as Cutter, a mentor to either men at one time or another. There are a few women in this film, and each of them hold there own. Piper Perabo proves in her very limited screen time as Julia to be an actress we should see more of. I don't know what happened to this girl but someone needs to book her as a lead and let her talent truly shine. Scarlett Johansson is fantastic as always as Olivia, assistant to either men at one time or another. She perfectly balances her own sexuality with a commanding aura. She is, without question, one of our most talented working actresses. It's Rebecca Hall though that really stands out for me. As Sarah, Alfred loving wife, she perfectly shifts between infatuation and intolerance, between admiration and impatience and dire frustration. Her performance is heartbreaking to say the least.
In the end `The Prestige' comes very close to making my top five films of 2006 for there is not a moment within that I am bored, dissatisfied or lost. It's one of those rare gems that just seems to fit in every possible way and soars high above the rest of the competition. I have a feeling that we are soon to see some spectacular things from director Christopher Nolan, even more spectacular then the brilliance he's already dealt to his audience.
Movie Review: The Prestige: A Gruesome Tale of Rival Magicians.
Summary: 5 Stars
_The Prestige_ (2006) is a movie based on a book by the same name featuring a rivalry between two stage magicians in late 19th century London. The movie itself demonstrates the extremes to which many magicians of the period were willing to go in order to pull off their stunts. The movie also explains many of these tricks, including such tricks as escaping from a locked box underwater with hands tied, the appearance of a fish bowl from under a cloth (practiced by a Chinese magician who was willing to go through life pretending to be a cripple in order to avoid his trick being found out), the infamous "bullet catch", the disappearance and reappearance of a bird, and ultimately the "teleported man". The movie title is a fitting one, which can be understood once the movie has been watched. It refers to the fact that there are three stages to a magical act (as explained by the older magician at the beginning of the movie). These stages are as follows: "the pledge" (in which the magician shows the audience something that appears ordinary), "the turn" (where the magician makes the ordinary act extraordinary, such as by disappearing), and "the prestige" (where the final effect of the illusion is produced, such as the reappearance of the object). It is to the question of exactly how "the prestige" is played out in the so-called "teleported man" trick that the movie must address. The movie features a dark atmosphere in Victorian London and shows the dangers of obsession. The movie also features a cameo appearance by the eccentric scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla (whose bizarre inventions were far ahead of his time, and who is still believed by many to have discovered many secrets which remain uncovered at this time). In this movie, Tesla does manage to develop something that is truly extraordinary (in his rivalry with Thomas Edison) and the true gruesome nature of this discovery as played out in the magical act of one of the magicians is not revealed until the end.
To begin with the movie starts out with both magicians Alfred Borden and Robert Angier as assistants to Milton the magician. In their effort to stretch the boundaries of their magical skills, the magicians concoct a stunt in which Angier's wife has her hands and legs tied and is then placed into a tank of water with a locked top. During one of the performances, Borden may have tied a knot which Angier's wife could not escape from (though he cannot remember exactly which knot he tied) and this leads to the tragedy of Angier's wife drowning within the box before it can be broken open. Angier blames Borden for his wife's death and thus begins the rivalry between the two magicians. During one of his performances, Borden attempts to perform the notoriously dangerous "bullet catch"; however, Angier arrives in the crowd in disguise and volunteers to fire the gun at Borden. Borden is injured because of Angier's tampering and thus loses two fingers. Later in the movie, Borden performs a bizarre stunt called the "teleported man", in which he enters one door and reappears instantaneously at another door halfway across the stage. (As will be discovered later in the movie, this "stunt" has a personal effect on him and involves great sacrifice.) In an effort to one-up Borden, Angier (calling himself "The Great Danton") must resort to extreme measures. Originally he uses a double to perform the same trick; however, this soon proves impossible as his double turns on him. So he must visit Tesla who lives in Colorado in America at the time. Tesla devises a special method for Angier to conduct his trick. To see how the rest of the movie is resolved you must watch as it plays out. However, the ending is particularly gruesome, as obsession becomes murderous. Both men turn out to have taken extreme measures to perform this trick and the costs include human lives. (Note: The eerie foreshadowing in the magical trick involving the bird. In which, the bird must be murdered in order for the trick to work.)
This movie is a thoroughly enjoyable one and has been compared to another movie about stage magic which recently came out called _The Illusionist_. Both movies are very good though they are quite different from each other. This movie is certainly entertaining but ultimately very gruesome and not for the overly squeamish. It is certainly worth watching however if you can appreciate being dazzled by the uncanny individuals who practice stage magic.
Movie Review: Are You Paying Attention...
Summary: 5 Stars
The world of illusion is one that has entertained audiences worldwide for years and years, and now you will be taken behind the scenes to witness how some of these tricks are created, but also just how obsessive and dark this world can be. The man responsible for showing you this side of magic, is none other than director Christopher Nolan, who has become one of Hollywood's most successful director's in recent years, with his films ranging from the confusing, sleeper hit "Memento", to the detective thriller "Insomnia", to DC Comics' caped crusader in "Batman Begins", and has managed to intrigue audiences every step of the way. This latest effort "The Prestige", starring Hugh Jackman (`X-Men' trilogy) and Christian Bale ("Batman Begins"), proves to be no exception.
"The Prestige" tells the story of two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who once upon a time had worked together to perform illusions, but after one fateful night tore these two friends apart, they are now the bitterest of enemies. Desperately trying to learn each other's secrets, these two one-time friends will stop at nothing to defeat the other. As their obsession grows more dangerous, sabotage and deceit become everyday affairs on their quest to be the greatest illusionist of their time.
"The Prestige" is one of those movies where you can't miss a second or else you may find yourself completely confused as to what's going on in the film. There are several major twists within the story, with many minor ones thrown in along the way that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will be coming at you next. In some movies too many surprises or twists can bring about a movies eventual downfall. For instance if there are too many twists that it appears the writers themselves lost track of where they were intending to go, and the movie suffers by becoming confusing and convoluted. "The Prestige" avoids this pitfall, thanks to the excellent writing of director Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan. Together they have managed to successfully craft a thoroughly engaging revenge movie that is unique, in that there is no clear cut hero in the movie. Along with the revenge arc of the story, there are huge amounts of detail shown as to what went on behind the scenes of many of these magic tricks in the old days, which was really interesting, and surprising in some instances as to how far all of these magicians would go just to create an illusion for an audience. This exploration into the somewhat darker side of magic is so intriguing because it's a part of that world that you haven't seen before. Of course, the secrets revealed in this movie, may not have been all that secret of late, and are probably not even close to being how the magicians of today would create the same illusion, but it was still interesting to watch and showed me things I didn't know about.
Throughout this story the two lead characters, brilliantly portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale respectively, do so many underhanded things to one another that neither one is without a share in the blame for the destructive paths their lives have taken. This makes the movie interesting to watch because you can't completely side with either character as the hero for the movie, which allows the audience to not choose sides and therefore see both sides to the movie more clearly. The two main supporting characters are excellently played by Scarlett Johansson, whose character is hardly without her own moral shortcomings, and Michael Caine, who plays the one character that could probably be described as the moral center for the film. The acting in this movie is truly excellent, and allows "The Prestige" to become another successful film for director Christopher Nolan.
By now, you have no doubt concluded that I really enjoyed this movie, and therefore highly recommend people to watch it. However, this is not a movie for everyone, as it is a much darker movie than even I anticipated. So, if you're thinking that this is going to be a magical, special effects extravaganza, then you will be sorely disappointed. But if you are looking for a very well-acted, dramatic, and intense movie-going experience, then "The Prestige" is definitely one movie to watch, and if you're like me you'll want to see it again once it's over.
"The Prestige" is rated PG-13 for violence.
Movie Review: An excellent adaptation of a superb novel
Summary: 5 Stars
At the end of the 19th Century, two stage magicians working in London become bitter rivals: Robert Angier (played by Hugh Jackman), performing under the name 'The Great Danton', and Alfred Borden (played by Christian Bale), known as 'The Professor'. They each seek to upstage the other, and when Borden develops a seemingly impossible trick that has him apparently teleporting across the stage in a second, Angier becomes obsessed with finding out how he did it, an obsession that leads him to Colorado and a meeting with a man named Nikola Tesla...
The Prestige, released in 2006, is an adaptation of the excellent Christopher Priest novel of the same name, directed by Christopher Nolan of Memento and Batman Begins fame (his subsequent project to this movie would be The Dark Knight) and sharing several cast and crew with the comic book movies, including Christian Bale and Michael Caine. The Prestige is a superb film which may actually be the finest translation of a work of literature to the screen that I've ever seen. The film is incredibly faithful to the themes and spirit of the novel, but not slavishly so. Ideas from the book that would not work well on-screen have been jettisoned, whilst the novel's modern-day framing device has been removed and replaced with a new one that focuses the story much more closely on the rivalry between Borden and Angier. At the same time, the novel's conceit of taking place entirely through the pages of the two men's diaries is actually translated successfully to the screen, and the changes made to the central twist of the novel actually make the idea even more disturbing and horrific than in the novel. As with the novel, upon finishing the film the viewer may be tempted to immediately watch it again in full knowledge of the secrets revealed at the end, whereupon it turns into a different movie.
The film's success is built around its two protagonists. Bale and Jackman turn in supremely accomplished performances (the latter possibly in a career-best performance), each having to play a complex, driven character each of whom is carrying weighty secrets and mysteries. Their escalating rivalry is particularly well-handled. Some may feel that the two characters are too obsessed with their rivalry and we don't see many other facets of their personalities, but given that the entire movie is driven by their rivalry, this is understandable. The supporting cast is also excellent, particularly Michael Caine as Angier's assistant, Cutter, Scarlett Johansson as Olivia and the curiously effective partnership of David Bowie (yes, that David Bowie) as Tesla and Andy Serkis as his helper, Alley. In fact, it feels like there's a whole other movie Nolan could go and make about Nikola Tesla that would be as fascinating to watch.
Nolan's direction, having to handle a complex, non-linear narrative and not lose the audience in confusion, is very good. At one point Olivia tells us that once you know the secret of the trick, it becomes rather obvious, and the film is like that. Rewatching the movie, it's almost incredible that you missed all the (in retrospect, obvious) clues pointing to what the truth of the story is. This is where the real success of the movie lies. Most of Priest's novels have a moment which is known as the 'Priest Effect', where the reader feels a trapdoor has opened beneath their feet and they realise everything they thought they knew was not only wrong, but perhaps never existed in the first place. The idea that this could be translated to cinema seems unthinkable, but Nolan delivers it here with considerable success. This is a movie where the rules are fluid and shift, but once you know what is going on, it all makes sense.
The Prestige (*****) is a most accomplished film, well-paced and dramatic, with a tremendous sense of mystery. It is a puzzle box of a story where all the pieces fit together satisfyingly at the end, and rewards repeated viewing. It is available on DVD (UK, USA) and Blu-Ray (UK, USA).