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 which explored the world of magicians. They were The Illusionist and The Prestige. The Prestige got more attraction even though both movies are just equally fantastic and will give you the needed thrill and fun of seeing men going all the way for their act.

The Prestige on the other hand was more into twists and turns. When you think you got a hand on what is happening, things change and until you get to the end of the movie, you have not fully grasped all that is happening. The problem of the movie is that even when it all makes sense, you do not have the hunger to go back in again to the movie once more.

Prestige has going for it fantastic performance from both Hugh Jackman as Robert and Christian Bale as Alfred. Like the narration of the movie goes, it is those who love them that suffered. That sad realization comes on you when the final curtain falls and you just have to applaud the fantastic movie you just witnessed.

The movie plot starts with us seeing two apprentice (Robert and Alfred) sent out by their boss to go watch a magic show. The aim was and comeback and tell him how the magician does his trick. We get to see the difference in the temperament of the men as the movie develops. A rivalry which started when Alfred used a different knot to tie Robert’s wife in a water tank trick that went wrong.

Both parted ways and started their own magical careers. Robert becomes more flamboyant and then more successful financially. Alfred continues his act on a more moderate success. Alfred develops a trick to which he teleport from one side of the stage to the other, in like a second.

Robert sees this trick and becomes obsessed with knowing how it was done. He develops his own version which he used a stunt double, but he is not satisfied with the results. Then upon being missed led to seek out the engineer/inventor Tesla he develops a trick of his own. It also has to do with teleportation but the result is scary. Robert still wanted to ruin Alfred and Alfred seeing the teleportation trick too wanted to know how it was done.

Unlike The Illusionist when you compare the production cost of the Prestige to that of its box office taking, the movie was a moderate box office success. It went ahead to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. If you have not had the opportunity to see The Prestige or The Illusionist, please do.