Cinema Review

The Prestige, (2006) dir. Christopher Nolan


"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 this ordinary something do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it…

"That’s why there’s a third act called ‘the prestige’. This is the part with the twists and the turns. Where lives hang in the balance. And you see something shocking that you’ve never seen before."

Sounds intriguing doesn’t it? Well, being a Chris Nolan film, this film consists of three acts, you with me? So allow me to structure this review in the same way…

First, the pledge…

The Prestige is a thoroughly engaging puzzle for the mind, an enigma wrapped in a straight jacket, suspended upside down in a tank of water. A thoughtful meditation on the length breath and depths of obsession and its capacity to ruin men’s lives. It features understated, naturalistic performances from all the principal cast, along with a surprising turn from David Bowie, clearly enjoying himself playing electrical genius Nikola Tesla.

Next, the turn…

This is yet another cynical, empty exercise in style over substance from Christopher ‘Memento’ Nolan and his equally smug brother. An all too grim tale about dueling magicians in 19th century London, featuring in-human, unfeeling performances from a uniformly wooden cast, and, in one of the most misguided pieces of casting since George Clooney donned Batman’s tights, David Bowie playing a cartoon version of Serb-Croat inventor Nikola Tesla. The only exception is Andy Serkis, who, it would seem, could probably make an Ernie Wise play sound like Shakespeare. As for the twisty-turny plot I figured out Nolan’s precious 'prestige' just over way through.

But, as the film is all too keen to keep reminding us, all magic tricks are comprised of three parts. Styling the screenplay after the form of a magic trick is all very clever, in an undergraduate kind of way, but it doesn’t make for a story with any real substance. What Nolan would have been better off doing is making a choice. I am still in two minds about this film. In the context of this film, is there such a thing as real magic or is there not? The two leads are only ‘magicians’ but Tesla was a ‘wizard’? Decide. Anyone thinking about going to see The Prestige would be well advised to go into it with an open mind. For me, it promised much more than it delivered, but I am sure it will reward repeat viewing and am anxcious to see it again when it is released on DVD some time in the new year.