The Prestige
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Hugh Jackman. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall
The 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novel went to a book about two rival magicians, set in 19th Century London. It was called Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and although there are some parallels with Christopher Priest's novel, The Prestige, they definitely should not be confused. For a start Clarke's story is about 'real' magicians, as in wizards and the supernatural, while Priest's is about stage magicians, illusionists and conjurors. Clarke's story may well get made into a movie, and no doubt has already been optioned as cast into development hell, where neither wizards nor magicians dare enter.
The Prestige, on the other hand, has seen the light of day thanks to the talents of prodigious British director Chris Nolan (of Memento and Batman Begins fame). With the help of his screenwriter brother, Jonathon, Nolan has created a stunning movie with the gothic look of Batman Begins and the twists and turns of Memento.
It is the tale of two young magicians in Victorian England; Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), a very talented, if somewhat rough-edged, magician capable of creating the most spectacular illusions; and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), the consummate showman. They start off as friends, protégés of a famous illusionist, under the watchful eye of Cutter (Michael Caine, in yet another archetypal mentor role), the magician's ingeneur (the one who looks after the technicalities of the illusions). When a trick goes horribly wrong Angier blames Borden and they go their separate ways, becoming bitter rivals always trying to discover the other's professional secrets and sabotage the shows, which takes a heavy physical, and emotional, toll on the both of them.
Being a Nolan picture, it jumps around the timeline so, from the beginning, we know that Borden is accused of killing Angier. It then flips backwards and forwards, as the whole story is revealed through the journals of the rivals. In fact the movie's three acts are divided into the three parts of the magic trick: The Pledge, where the audience is shown something ordinary, even if it isn't; The Turn, where the ordinary object does something extraordinary; and The Prestige, the part with the twists and turns that amaze and stun the audience. Nolan certainly pulls off a great trick, some of which you see coming while others are clearly shown but so well misdirected that they are all the more surprising at the end.
Apart from the rivalries between the two magicians, both professionally and domestically (wives and lovers), one of the highlights of the film, at least for me, was the first major feature film screen appearance of Nikola Tesla. For those not familiar with him, he was the greatest genius of modern times, whose inventions and discoveries are commonplace and yet he is rarely credited for them, for example – radio. During his lifetime his work was so advanced the he was widely known as the Wizard. In a sublime bit of casting, Nolan managed to convince David Bowie to play the part. If you want to find out more about Tesla click here.
This is a great looking movie that doesn't emphasise the fact that it is a period piece. There is plenty of attention to detail but it never dominates the action or character development. While it is almost impossible to convincingly portray magic on screen, because we are all aware of the tricks the camera can play, the film quite openly shows how the tricks are done, or may be done. It is Tesla's science that is the most mind boggling, although some creative licence has been taken with some of it. Caine, Jackman and Bale are all excellent, with Bale's cockney accent sounding as genuine as Caine's natural voice. The female supports are great and Rebecca Hall, as Borden's wife, is a revelation in her first major screen role. (She is also in Starter for Ten, which is in cinemas on the same day as The Prestige.)
Chris Nolan is definitely one of the finest young filmmakers to come out of this country in a long time, able to create movies that are intelligent, well-crafted and enjoyed by audiences and critics alike. Definitely one to see, just don't tell your friends how the trick was done.
Official site
Cast: Hugh Jackman. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall
The 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novel went to a book about two rival magicians, set in 19th Century London. It was called Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and although there are some parallels with Christopher Priest's novel, The Prestige, they definitely should not be confused. For a start Clarke's story is about 'real' magicians, as in wizards and the supernatural, while Priest's is about stage magicians, illusionists and conjurors. Clarke's story may well get made into a movie, and no doubt has already been optioned as cast into development hell, where neither wizards nor magicians dare enter.
The Prestige, on the other hand, has seen the light of day thanks to the talents of prodigious British director Chris Nolan (of Memento and Batman Begins fame). With the help of his screenwriter brother, Jonathon, Nolan has created a stunning movie with the gothic look of Batman Begins and the twists and turns of Memento.
It is the tale of two young magicians in Victorian England; Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), a very talented, if somewhat rough-edged, magician capable of creating the most spectacular illusions; and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman), the consummate showman. They start off as friends, protégés of a famous illusionist, under the watchful eye of Cutter (Michael Caine, in yet another archetypal mentor role), the magician's ingeneur (the one who looks after the technicalities of the illusions). When a trick goes horribly wrong Angier blames Borden and they go their separate ways, becoming bitter rivals always trying to discover the other's professional secrets and sabotage the shows, which takes a heavy physical, and emotional, toll on the both of them.
Being a Nolan picture, it jumps around the timeline so, from the beginning, we know that Borden is accused of killing Angier. It then flips backwards and forwards, as the whole story is revealed through the journals of the rivals. In fact the movie's three acts are divided into the three parts of the magic trick: The Pledge, where the audience is shown something ordinary, even if it isn't; The Turn, where the ordinary object does something extraordinary; and The Prestige, the part with the twists and turns that amaze and stun the audience. Nolan certainly pulls off a great trick, some of which you see coming while others are clearly shown but so well misdirected that they are all the more surprising at the end.
Apart from the rivalries between the two magicians, both professionally and domestically (wives and lovers), one of the highlights of the film, at least for me, was the first major feature film screen appearance of Nikola Tesla. For those not familiar with him, he was the greatest genius of modern times, whose inventions and discoveries are commonplace and yet he is rarely credited for them, for example – radio. During his lifetime his work was so advanced the he was widely known as the Wizard. In a sublime bit of casting, Nolan managed to convince David Bowie to play the part. If you want to find out more about Tesla click here.
This is a great looking movie that doesn't emphasise the fact that it is a period piece. There is plenty of attention to detail but it never dominates the action or character development. While it is almost impossible to convincingly portray magic on screen, because we are all aware of the tricks the camera can play, the film quite openly shows how the tricks are done, or may be done. It is Tesla's science that is the most mind boggling, although some creative licence has been taken with some of it. Caine, Jackman and Bale are all excellent, with Bale's cockney accent sounding as genuine as Caine's natural voice. The female supports are great and Rebecca Hall, as Borden's wife, is a revelation in her first major screen role. (She is also in Starter for Ten, which is in cinemas on the same day as The Prestige.)
Chris Nolan is definitely one of the finest young filmmakers to come out of this country in a long time, able to create movies that are intelligent, well-crafted and enjoyed by audiences and critics alike. Definitely one to see, just don't tell your friends how the trick was done.
Official site
posted by Chris Patmore at 9:32 PM
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