REVIEW: The Prestige

Imminent on DVD, The Prestige has been a sleeper hit over the course of the year, picking up a quasi-cult audience after its unheralded arrival at the cinemas. Possibilities of Oscar faded quickly after early buzz (rightly to be honest) but its overall quality has seen it reviewed well and awarded with Empire Magazine's 4th Best Movie of the year.

It certainly a fascinating prospect, a superlative cast (Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johannson) and a brilliant director in Christopher Nolan making good fun, experimental cinema. Not in an avant garde sense by any means, but as an exercise in thematically metaphorical filmmaking. It concerns itself with two duelling magicians, obsessed with topping each other's masterpiece trick to the point of madness and taking them on a journey of deceit, revenge, double crossing and murder. Its great triumph is in the narrative direction and set up; the film itself reveals eventually as a cinematic sleight of hand, tricking the audience while simultaneously keeping their attention on anything but the final prestige.

The performances are all solid, with Jackman particularly strong as a man on the verge of a jealous insanity, but the performance need to do very little. The characters themselves are fairly unlikable, as vengeful and careerist as they are, but you are utterly compelled throughout. Technically too, not just in terms of the trick played, this is a gorgeous film deserving of it cinematography nod at the Oscars. But watch this purely for plot and to be tricked, entertained and thrilled for two hours.

Film: The Prestige
Director: Christopher Nolan
Plattenspieler Rating: 7.8/10