The Prestige (2006)

The Prestige (2006)

7/10

Starring

Hugh Jackman

Christian Bale

Michael Caine

Directed by Christopher Nolan

In 2006, there were two psychological thriller movies that explored the world of magicians: The Illusionist and The Prestige. The Prestige got more attention, even though both movies are equally fantastic and deliver the thrill and excitement of watching men go to extreme lengths for their craft. While The Illusionist is more rooted in a romantic plot, The Prestige is more about pride.

The Prestige, on the other hand, is packed with twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s happening, things change, and by the end of the movie, you still haven’t fully grasped everything. The only downside is that even when it all makes sense, you might not feel the urge to watch it again.

What The Prestige has going for it are the fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman as Robert and Christian Bale as Alfred. As the movie’s narration says, it’s those who love them that suffer. That sad realization hits you when the final curtain falls, leaving you applauding the incredible movie you’ve just witnessed.

The movie’s plot starts with two apprentices, Robert and Alfred, sent by their boss to watch a magic show. Their goal is to come back and explain how the magician performs his trick. We quickly see the difference in their temperaments as the movie progresses. A rivalry begins when Alfred uses a different knot to tie Robert’s wife during a water tank trick that goes horribly wrong.

The two part ways and start their own magical careers. Robert becomes more flamboyant and financially successful, while Alfred continues with moderate success. Alfred develops a trick where he appears to teleport from one side of the stage to the other in an instant.

Robert sees this trick and becomes obsessed with figuring out how it’s done. He creates his own version using a stunt double, but he’s not satisfied with the results. Misled into seeking out the engineer and inventor Tesla, Robert develops his own teleportation trick—but the results are terrifying. Despite this, Robert remains determined to ruin Alfred, while Alfred, seeing Robert’s trick, becomes equally obsessed with uncovering its secret.

Unlike The Illusionist, when you compare The Prestige’s production cost to its box office earnings, it was only a moderate success. However, it received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. If you haven’t had the chance to see The Prestige or The Illusionist, I highly recommend both.