Film Reviews

The Prestige

• Rating:
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Starring: Christian Bale
• Details: US / 128mins (12A).

"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 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 where you see something shocking you've never seen before." Christopher Nolan's new film twists and turns so much in the last twenty minutes, you won't know whether you're coming or going - yet he still manages to make it believable. In Victorian England around the turn of the century, two rival magicians - Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale) - compete to put on the greatest magic show the world has ever seen. To this end, they must come up with the most daring magic trick, and the competition gets so tough, even murder is accepted as a necessity. This isn't exactly FX: Murder By Illusion; The Prestige is a clever, clever film that needs repeated viewing to see all the bells and whistles Nolan has up his sleeve. When you come out of the film, questions will abound: what was that scene for? Why was Scarlett Johansson in that film when she had nothing to do? Then suddenly, you remember a line buried somewhere in the dialogue-heavy script, that a magician always has a pretty girl to distract you from what's really going on - and we realise that we have been fooled by a master magician by the name of Christopher Nolan. Both Bale and Jackman are both excellent in their roles. There's something about Bale that makes you forget you're watching an actor, as he inhabits every role he's given. And the twist - which is in front of your eyes throughout - is revealed with skill and precision. Pencil The Prestige in for your visit to the flicks - you wont be disappointed.

Review by Gavin Burke