The Prestige
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Movie Reviews of The Prestige
Movie Review: FOR THOSE WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ((((PLOT SPOILERS))))
Summary: 5 Stars
I really like the movie. People are conplaining that it went from a period piece to sci-fi. Be a little more open minded folks its a movie not a textbook. I watched the movie pretty closely so I feel confident that I can clear some stuff up for those people who have questions.
Borden didnt tie the knot to purposely kill Angiers wife they had both agreed the other knot would be stronger and she says she can slip out of it in the beginning of the movie (she couldnt and drowned)
When Angier asked Borden which knot he tied and he says he doesnt know, he really doesnt cause his brother was the one that did it.
Cutter knew all the time that Borden was a twin he just never told Angier.
When Angier test the machine for the first time he has a gun with him in case something went wrong (like if he is disfigured or something) he says he didnt want to live that way. When his clone appears he shots it because he is surprised.
Angier did set Borden up to take the fall for his death he says so in his dairy when Borden is reading it in jail. He knew that Borden would want to know what was going on under the stage. He set up 100 shows cause he knew that eventually Borden would come.
In one scene Borden is telling his twin who is in disguise to leave Angier alone and not to go back there (the twin doesnt listen and goes anyway)
In one scene we see Borden at dinner with Oliva (Johannsen) and he tells her "part of me loves you and part of me loves my wife". His wife pretty much from the start knew something was not right cause she tells him when he says I love you somedays he means it and some days he doesnt. She is driven to drink by the hot and cold treatment she is getting from the brothers cause one of them doesnt love her then she kills herself. In one scene he is telling his twin she knows something isnt right talk to her and convince her I love her. The twin in jail even apologizes for what happened to Sarah and says he never meant to hurt her.
Angier is basically drowning himself every night in the water tanks and a clone like him in every way, shape and form is created. Then he does it again the next night. Since the original always stays in the machine (the top hat, the cat, Angier) the original Angier was dead and gone before the 100 shows even started. He admits that he is scared to death everytime he gets into the machine. He choses to drown them because 1.this way he doesnt even have to deal with them when they are alive like the one he shot and 2.Cutter told him a story that a sailer once said that drowning was like going home. In the end he admits he lied, the sailor said drowning was agony. After every show the blind stage hands carries out a water tank with a dead Angier inside.
Tesla didnt mean for the machine to clone he tells Angier when they discover that it does that he will need a few weeks to iron out the problem but he never gets the chance too because the men come and burn his place down. He sends the machine to Angier but tells him to destroy it.
The twin that hangs was the one that loved Oliva
The old asian man who makes the fishbowl appear is only pretending to be crippled but he does it ALL THE TIME to hide his secret (he carries the bowl between his legs). The same way the twins have decided to live one life to keep up the trick. They were all not afraid to "get their hands dirty" as Borden says in the movie.
Cutter is visably upset when he finds out the truth that Angier is still alive and Borden was set up.
For those who ask why Cutter didnt go to the police when he figured it out it was the 18th century who was going to believe him plus there was still a dead body that no amount of explaining would have made go away someone was gonna have to take the fall for it.
Movie Review: Are you watching closely?
Summary: 5 Stars
The Prestige is a movie Directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins and Memento) and stars Hugh Jackman (X-men, the Fountain) and Christian Bale (Batman Begins, American Psycho). As story begins the two men are partners as well as rival up starts working for another magician. You quickly see that they approach the craft differently and cause friction in how to execute the tricks properly. Each trick has three parts the pledge, the turn and the most important, the Prestige.
Alfred Borden (Bale) is a young prodigy and is a natural magician but lacks the flare of showmanship, what his rival, Angier (Jackman) excels in greatly. Each man has a different approach and philosophy about magic but both share the obsession of being the best. Jackman knows he's a better showman but Borden supposedly has a brilliant show stopping trick that has never been done that he's not yet ready to revel.
The two men first meet while both working for a magician's assistant, played by Michael Cain. Cain's character "Cutter" knows the talent of these two men and tried to coach them on the finer aspects of being a magician. After a horrific accident on stage the two men became more than just rivals but mortal enemies. Angier blamed Borden for the disaster and the two men go back and forth trying to not only "one up" the other but to sabotage the other mans life and career.
Nolan weaves a sophisticated story that keeps you on on the edge of your proverbial seat and like a magic trick; He gets you with "slide of hand" and leaves you wondering how you missed it. The entire movie is like a magic trick, you begin with the pledge and then the turn and in the finally... the Prestige!
One of the smartest things in the entire movie is the practical approach to showing how the tricks are performed and the idea that the trick is almost always much more simple than one would think. The real trick is to be totally commented to the craft and to never give up the trick, the method is everything.
Nolan does again, a remarkable job with humanizing the characters evolved and shows how much they are willing to risk for there obsessions. These two men grapple with love gained, lost and thrown away in many ways in this film. The subject of true sacrifice is shown in these two bitter rivals as each man looks to push his own ethics and morality to it's limits. It's never about money, women or even fame for these two; it's not even discussed as a goal. Each man is obsessed with knowing he is better than the other, and will stop at nothing till he has the superior trick that leaves not only the audience scratching their heads but his rival as well. Even if it means he will lose everything to get the satisfaction.
In my opinion, one of the best movies of 2006 and even thou nominated for two Oscars, was over looked by most movie goes and critics. The acting in the Prestige is brilliant without being too bold. The two main characters are supported by some great performances by Scarlet Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Piper Perabo, Andy Sirkis and David Bowie as the scientist Tesla.
The mark of any great movie is how many times it takes you to watch it and catch something new and at the same time be entertained. This movie has these traits in spades. This movie solidifies for me the genius that is Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan (who wrote the screenplay). First was Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, and now the Prestige, Mr. Nolan is batting a 1.000 in my book. A master storyteller and knows exactly how much to show and when to show it. Maybe if Christopher Nolan was born in the late 1800's he would have been a magician.
This movie is the newest addition to my top 100 movies and my favorite movie of 2006
Movie Review: "You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled."
Summary: 5 Stars
I heard of "The Prestige" when it came out on DVD, but I didn't know too much about it. Saw some commercials for it here and there, but I wasn't sure if it was something that I had to see right away. It wasn't until I went to a store and saw that this was directed by none other than the brilliant Christopher Nolan (who directed my all-time favorite movie, "Memento"). That's all it took for me to buy the DVD without even really knowing what the movie was about. I didn't care. It had Nolan's name on it, and that's all I needed. I watched it the next day and couldn't believe how great this movie was. Not only that, but I ended up watching it again only a few hours after my first viewing.
Unfortunately, there are so many twists and turns in this wild ride that I'll have to be brief in describing what it's about so I don't end up giving away something crucial (yeah, it's one of those where you give away one little thing, and it could possibly ruin the movie for the other person). As simplistic as I can put it the film concerns two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden. The two were quite the team and worked together splendidly until one night one of their well known tricks goes wrong and ends up costing Angier a loved one. He blames Borden for his loss and becomes obsessed with finding any means to out-show him, learn his secrets and destroy him.
I know, this sounds like a typical "thriller," but that's really only a small outline of the movie. I had to keep it short and simple to avoid giving away too much. "The Prestige" works more as a drama/thriller/mystery. The entire theme of the movie is to "watch closely," and there's reason for that. You're not entirely sure what is going on until the very end, and even then you feel like you have to watch it again right away to verify what you've just witnessed. Nolan's great at playing head-games with you, and it's nice to see him dive intos that area of film again. Even though you're always trying to piece together what's going on, none of that takes away the enjoyment of watching these characters and how they interact in the environment around them. The look and feel of the film is very dark, but it looks so gorgeous.
The performances from Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine are perfect. Bale never ceases to amaze me in the roles he takes, as he commits himself a hundred percent every time. David Bowie even makes a small appearance in the film, and trust me when I say this, you do not see him as David Bowie on the screen. You buy into his character completely.
It must be said, even though this is a PG-13 movie, it gets pretty disturbing and the overall tone of the movie is dark and cold. I wouldn't recommend it for children. The DVD doesn't offer a whole lot of features, which is a shame because I have the suspicion that they will re-release it in a "fully-loaded" edition later on (which I will have to go and buy).
"The Prestige" is a total success, and then some. It's one of those movies that you have to watch more than once, and each time you see it (just like with "Memento"), chances are you're going to pick up on something that you didn't see the first time around. If you're looking for something different and unique, I strongly suggest giving this a try. It ranks up there as one of my top favorites of 2006. Nice to see that Christopher Nolan has made another fantastic movie and has proven that he's not just a one-trick pony. The movie may have a lot of twists and turns to keep you interested, but they never take away from the great story and characters.
Are you watching closely? -Michael Crane
Movie Review: Thrilling One-Upmanship and Terrific Acting--Don't Look Away!
Summary: 5 Stars
Unlike some reviews here, I won't give away any spoilers, because the maximum enjoyment of THE PRESTIGE depends on--like a magic act--not knowing how it works (at least at first). I think it's despicable that some reviewers ruin the climax with plot giveaways without clear spoiler warnings. For shame.
Story: Two magicians (Jackman, Bale) begin as joint apprentices and, after a pivotal tragic event, end up obsessed and bitter rivals who keep upping the magic stakes in a quest to be number one. Each cannot rest until he knows the other's magic secrets as each man takes his turn being the best.
Ultimately, the game will be about more than magic tricks and will spill over, affecting every part of each man's life. There will be no turning back for either, because the ultimate of tricks (the one they've each constructed from their rivalry and mutual loathing) must play out to the very end. And only one magician can be the best.
The acting is terrific. Jackman is the polished, eloquent, well-dressed, well-groomed, handsome front-man whose showmanship captivates crowds. But as we see him turn darker and more obsessed, we begin to worry for him.
Bale is the coarser, vulgarly-accented one who is unswervingly committed to the craft. He ends up creating a trick that drives Jackman over the edge to all-out, heedless obession: The Transported Man. The quest by Jackman's character to find the secret of this trick will lead him down a very dark road.
Bale plays his complicated role with convincing shades. Jackman is superb, sometimes pitiable, sometimes repulsive. Michael Caine does well--as always--as the man in the middle. A good man who loves his career, but who is stuck between the competitive madness. His sound advice goes unheeded, and we know that tragedy must be the result...
While both leads are immensely watchable, Caine and Johansson are terrific in supporting roles.
And the fact that we are reminded over and over about the title--the prestige, that part of the act where the audience is befuddled and amazed and the magician gets his glorious due, the moment of wonder and the unsolved trick--tells us we should watch, watch carefully, because the movie is about to pull a heckuva rabbit out of the hat.
And it's hard as the film proceeds to be sure who you should root for. First this one, then that one, then...no one? Obsession is fascinating to watch, and revenge makes for a strong plot driver, but it's difficult to know who is in the right and who is in the wrong, or if both are wrong. Shades of gray turn to black, sometimes.
Unlike THE ILLUSIONIST, last year's other feature film with a magician as the man character, this one does have surprises, things up its sleeve, that you realize bit by bit. THE ILLUSIONIST was easy to solve. You realize the trick way before the ending. In THE PRESTIGE, you are given enough clues to figure out bits of the trick early on, in the middle, and even up to the BIG one, but it still keeps you wondering, "What? What will they do? How will I be surprised?"
And that's a lot of fun. The wondering. Because even when you congratulate yourself for figuring X or Y out early, you still have a ways to go until...the last moments of THE PRESTIGE, and at least ONE secret will not be divulged until then.
It's a fast-paced and delicious sleight-of-hand film with two dazzling male leads who keep you guessing.
RECOMMENDED.
Movie Review: The Prestige
Summary: 5 Stars
In 2006, so many duplicate movies came out. Two war movies, two film-noir movies, a virtual remake of a 2005 biopic, and two magician movies. The first was "The Illusionist" a great looking film, with some good stars and a hypnotic lead played by Edward Norton. It also had an actress, Jessica Biel, who isn't respected by many as an actress but ended up delivering a great performance. "The Prestige" also looks great, has a talent-laden cast, a very talented director,
great set design and special effects, and an actress named Scarlett Johansson, who gives a very good performance despite being dissed every time she shows up in a movie. Also, both films have twist endings that a lot of people say are implausible but are never bothered me. "The Prestige" is directed by Christopher Nolan, the talented director behind Memento, Batman Begins, and Insomnia. It's co-written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, who wrote the story that inspired Christopher's script for "Memento." The movie stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Johansson, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie, all of whom are talented and underrated actors with the exception of Caine (who is very talented and not underrated at all). Jackman and Bale play Robert Angier and Alfred Borden. As the film opens, Angier is performing a very dangerous trick. Borden, hiding incognito in the audience, manages to sneak backstage and watches as Angier falls through a trap door into a tank filled with water and drowns. Borden is accused of putting the tank there and is convicted of Angier's murder. As Borden sits in jail awaiting his hanging, he begins reading Angier's diary. Angier and Borden had begun as friends and partners in a magic show. Angier's wife (Piper Perabo) was also in the show as the girl who has her wrists tied is dipped into a tank of water as a curtain falls over it. When the curtain is removed, the girl is free. Problem is, Borden ties a faulty knot which results in her death. Now Angier and Borden are bitter enemies, who will stop at nothing to learn each other's secrets and top each other in everything. Then one night Angier catches one of Borden's shows and sees the greatest trick he has ever seen. Desperate to find out the secret, Angier sends his assistant (Johansson) to spy on him. And later, he seeks the help of a scientist (Bowie) to help him design a similar trick that will top Borden's. Caine plays mentors and friends both the men. Both Jackman and Bale are so great in their performances and are really fascinating to watch. Caine, Bowie, and Serkis (as Bowie's assistant) turn in great supporting performances. Johansson and Perabo aren't really considered fine actresses, but both are really good here. Although if I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone criticize Johansson's English accent, I'd be a rich man. A lot of people also criticize the ending, many say it's implausible. Not implausible, just not very likely. But this is a fictional film that frequently reminds you to pay attention. Watching the movie the 2nd time, it makes a lot more sense. "The Prestige" is one of the best films of 2006 in the sense that it's one of the best-produced films of the year. It's incredibly entertaining, great to look at, and is more likely to appeal to a broader audience than the typical "best film of the year" selection. I'm not sure how many people will like it as much as me, but I'm sure, at least, that you won't regret watching it.
GRADE: A