I went to see The Prestige earlier in the week and thought it was excellent.
It is a film about two magicians in the late 19th century, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, who develop a fierce and obsessive rivalry. They are driven by the need to out do each other and the lust for revenge, which leads them to sabotage, violence and murder. Most of this rivalry surrounds one particularly amazing illusion called ‘The Transported Man’ which is developed by Bale’s character.
I have seen it described as a ‘twist’ film - like Sixth Sense - but this really doesn’t do it justice. It doesn’t have one twist that the whole film leads up to, it has a complicated and interesting plot with multiple ‘twists’ all the way through. It is presented in a non-linear way with flashbacks from the memories of the two main characters as well as a time-line in the present, which draws you into the story and really helps you to relate to the characters.
Perhaps the only negative thing you could say about it is that you have to concentrate throughout. Every scene and every line has meaning. For me, this is what made it so enjoyable, it engages your mind instead of just overloading your senses with bangs and flashes.
And it is not just a film for magicians. It’s just that the secretive world of magic and illusion is a such great backdrop for a story about obsession and twisting reality. You don’t have to be a magician to understand what is going on, in fact it reveals some old magical methods, some of them gruesome (it didn’t pay to be a budgerigar in those days) and some of them Hollywood artistic license.
The biggest secret it reveals? The simplest explanation is usually the right one. Well, most of the time…
Go and see it!