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Tuesday, 07 November 2006 17:21 |
| | Meg Hale |
Maybe you can miss a film starring Hugh Jackman ("X-Men")..., or maybe even miss a movie with Christian Bale ("American Psycho")... in it, but a movie with both of them directed by Christopher Nolan ("Memento")...? No way! So, naturally, I had to rush right out and check out "The Prestige."
The title is based on the idea that there are three parts to a magic trick: the pledge, in which the audience is shown something ordinary; the turn, in which the magician makes the ordinary do something extraordinary; and finally the prestige, in which the magician takes the audience members to the next level of exhilaration, showing them that they have no idea what has taken place. If the magician, say, made something disappear, the prestige would be the point at which he made it reappear.
"The
Prestige" is the story of two young magicians, Rupert Angier and Alfred
Borden, dueling for fame in turn-of-the-century Britain. They begin as
allies, both working as assistants to the same magician, but when a
faulty knot tied by Borden (Bale)... causes the death of Angierës
(Jackman)... wife, they start a battle that will threaten both of their
lives.
In this battle,
they both try to trump the other with a stupefying stunt that will wow
audiences and stomp the competition. The two try to steal everything
from one another, including journals, scientists to potentially create
real magic and, as usual, a woman. The woman who gets between them is
played by busty young actress Scarlett Johansson ("The Island")....
Johansson plays basically the same role she played in "The Black
Dahlia" going back and forth between which man she loves. She must just
like making out with leading men. Who could blame her, with these
actors?
As a matter of
fact, Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules")... plays about the same
role in "The Prestige" that he did in Nolanës last film "Batman
Begins." He plays Cutter, the kindly assistant to Jackman, rather than
Bale this time. As always, Caine is adorable in his role, but my
favorite role in the film is that of scientist Nikola Tesla.
The film is set
during the period in which, like the two magicians, Tesla and Thomas
Edison, are competing to be the first to become the father to modern
electricity. In one of my favorite casting choices of the year,
actor/musician David Bowie ("The Man Who Fell to Earth")... plays
Tesla. Bowieës own quirky eccentricity fits nicely into the role of the
mysterious, reclusive Tesla.
The magic trick
that Angier purchases from Tesla is a little cheesy, though it is based
on one of Teslaës actual theories. In any event, I found Bordenës trick
to be much more impressive. I have to admit, I was able to figure out
how he did it about halfway through the movie ÇƒÏ not because Iëm an
expert on magic tricks, but because if thereës one thing Iëm qualified
to do, itës spot an actor.
A warning: this
film is not in the least a fun magic show that one should take their
kids to see. "The Prestige" is far from being all scarves up the sleeve
and bunnies in hats. It is more crushed canaries and removed fingers.
Remember that Nolan is a good director, but heës pretty darn dark. It
is a nice step-up, or darkening, from this yearës "The Illusionist."
Nolan wrote the
screenplay for this film with his brother Jonathan Nolan. The two have
not written together since "Memento" (2000)..., but are already working
on their next collaboration: the next installment of the "Batman"
series, titled "The Dark Knight." "The Dark Knight" is set to be
released in 2008.
This is a fun
and fascinating movie. I do not regard it as one of any of the actorës
best roles and it is certainly not the best movie to Nolanës credit,
but it is worthwhile and I would recommend it for most adult audiences.
I give "The Prestige" four of my six planets.
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