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 2006 PG-13 / Drama Thriller Directed by: Starring: |
- A Friendship, That Became a Rivalry... A Rivalry, That Became a Battle.
Summary Capsule
- Two master magicians become bitter rivals in a battle to... what's that? I'm pretty much copying the tagline? Fooey.
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Justin's Rating: Harry Potter and the Order of the Deathly Chambers of Stones. Part II.
Justin's Review: In college I spent a summer break in the Catskill Mountains at my friend Lance's aunt and uncle's (I actually remember writing my review of Remo Williams at that time). Said uncle was a practicing magician who often performed on the side of his real job. One day, without much introduction or aplomb, he began performing all sorts of slight of hand and other magic tricks as we stood there talking. Now, I've seen magic before, from David Copperfield on TV to your local theater wizard, but this was the first time I was less than a foot away from the tricks being performed, and I still couldn't figure them out.
The Prestige is very forthright with what you are about to see. They tell you that it's a trick. They want to dazzle you with a great show. And they dare you to figure it out before the big reveal. You know there will be layers upon layers, misdirection galore, and showmanship. The clues will not be hidden, but shown for all to see. You will love it, and it will drive you to the brink of insanity.
In director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to Batman Begins, he brings back Christian Bale and Michael Caine in another fine turn, along with Hugh Jackman. It's Batman vs. Wolverine, as Robert (Jackman) and Alfred (Bale) face off as two rival stage magicians at the turn of the 20th century. After a dreadful accident that turns them from friends into enemies, they vow to make their shows the best the world's ever seen, while at the same time sabotaging each other at any cost.
It's a film about magic and illusions, and one of the things to know about magic is that it's the science of being a dirty rotten cheater — there are no boundaries when it comes to making a trick work. And once explained, the magic loses its spark in the audience's imagination, and is often replaced with disappointment or even anger. In the bottom of our hearts, we sort of want magic tricks to be real, or if not real, then feats of extraordinary talent. When you discover that a gadget and some minor misdirection accomplishes the mission, then "it's not fair!" escapes your lips. But, see, you were tricked. You allowed yourself to be. Everything's fair if that happens.
I realize that this review is more of a minor essay on my incredibly limited experiences with stage magic, but I simply cannot spoil this movie for you. Rest assured, it is fantastic. Slow as it draws you in, but rich and interesting for its entire length. I now know the trick as it's been revealed, and it was worth it.
Abracadabra.
 "I just stole your lunch money! How's that for a trick?"
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- The main characters' initials spell ABRA (Alfred Borden Robert Angier), as in Abracadabra, a common word used by magicians.
- Borden's infant child is played by one of director Christopher Nolan's own children.
- Christian Bale's character is named Alfred, the same name as his butler in Batman Begins played by Micheal Caine (Cutter).
Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?
No.
Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]
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Ricky Jay, who played a magician in the film, coached Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in their sleight-of-hand techniques.
Chung Ling Soo was a stage character created by a Caucasian American man, William Ellsworth Robinson, who disguised himself as a Chinese man to cash in on audiences' enthusiasm for the exotic. Robinson lived as Chung, never breaking character while in public. He died in March 1918 when a bullet catch trick went wrong. "My God, I've been shot" were both his last words and the first English he had spoken on stage in 19 years.
Nikola Tesla was a real world-renowned inventor, physicist, and engineer. He did in fact at one point in time have a lab in Colorado Springs where he conducted electrical experiments. Besides being a brilliant scientist, he was also known for his eccentric behavior.
Groovy Quotes
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Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called "The Pledge"; The magician shows you something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn"; The magician makes his ordinary some thing do something extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before.
Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it because you're not really looking. You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled.
Sarah: Do you... do you love me?
Alfred: Not today. No.
Alfred: Never show anyone. They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them.
Alfred: Are you watching closely?
Tesla: Nothing is impossible, Mr. Angier. What you want is simply expensive.
Tesla: You're familiar with the phrase "man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.
Sarah: No more lies. No more secrets.
Alfred: Secrets are my life.
Robert: It was the greatest magic trick I've ever seen.
Cutter: Remember when I told you about the drowning sailor?
Robert: Yes, he said it was like going home.
Cutter: I lied. He said it was agony.
Tesla: Mr. Angier, have you considered the cost of such a machine?
Robert: Price is not an object.
Tesla: Perhaps not, but have you considered the *cost*?
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