The Prestige

The Prestige is a movie about magicians in the 1900s made by a modern-day magician, Christopher Nolan. Nolan has only made five full-length movies, and all the ones I’ve seen (Memento, Batman Begins, and The Prestige) hit the ball so far out of the park that they hit a tourist in Singapore on the head. Watching a Nolan film isn’t like watching other movies, because you’re not just getting a movie. In Nolan’s hands, a movie isn’t just a medium for telling a story. In fact, with Nolan’s films, your watching of the movie is the story.

On the small level that all non-Nolan movies exist on, The Prestige is the story of two rival magicians in turn of the century London. Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is a master at his craft, but sadly lacks the flair of showmanship required of any magician, something Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) has in spades. When the movie begins, Alfred is on trial for Rupert’s murder, and the entire story is told in a non-linear mode that can be quite confusing if you’re not on your toes the entire time. For the first half-hour or so, I thought the movie would lose me, because it went forward with such speed and force, and I thought it would sprint ahead while I was left trying to catch my breath. But I eventually became acclimated to the movie’s pacing, and it got easier. Also in the mix is Scarlett Johansson (it must be a federal law that every fifth movie made has to have her in it) as Olivia, the “lovely assistant,” the magician’s main method of misdirection. She starts as the assistant for Rupert, but eventually “defects” to Alfred at the behest of Rupert to steal Alfred’s secrets. Whether her defecting is genuine or not is in question. I found her forgettable, though she is a treat for the eyes. There is also Michael Caine as Cutter, the designer and engineer of the tricks Rupert and Alfred employ, and a special and sneaky appearance by David Bowie as Tesla, an inventor who builds… something… for Rupert. I can’t tell you what, because a magician never reveals his secrets, and it would be very crass for me to reveal his secrets for him.

Honestly, there’s not much I can tell you about the plot, and for that very reason. Just know it involves some very big surprises and a few unexpected turns. Nolan’s touch seems genuine rather than hammy, and the tricks he plays on the audience are met with applause instead of scowls. Christian Bale gives a knock-out performance, and I see an Oscar in his future. Alfred Borden was a masterful creation, forged out of equal parts obsession, dark charisma, and single-minded drive. Hugh Jackman didn’t do the best job of conveying that Rupert was a master showman, and both magicians could have acted more histrionic and flamboyant. Jackman’s portrayal of pain, however, was palpable, and he did a great job of making me feel his drive for vengeance. There should also be a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for Chris Nolan and his brother Jonathan. Once again, they have pulled off a fabulous magic act, and made a movie that acts as a kind of meta-movie.

Watching the movie, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat the entire time wondering what the secret was, but that was a good thing. The nature and spell of the film made me forget about trying to figure it out, and instead made me marvel at the wonder of it. On a stroke of luck (I never do this), I figured out the secret of the movie about half-way through, and spent the rest of it waiting to see if I was right. I was, thankfully, and I probably would have had very different feelings about the movie as a whole if I had been wrong. But regardless, Nolan does something here that I’d wager no other modern director can do, and you need to see the movie to really know what I’m talking about. Can we say “Best Picture nod?”

Iconic lines:
“Don’t forget your hat, Mr. Angier.”
“No one cares about the man in the box, the man who disappears.”
“Now, you’re looking for the secret, but you won’t find it. Because you want to be fooled."

22 Rating: 15

Particle Man