The Prestige (2006)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
Runtime: 130 minutes

Synopsis: After a tragic accident, two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.

Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 5/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Entertainment Factor: 6/10

Verdict: "The Prestige" has always been one of my least favorite Nolan films. Nothing about it stuck with me in the long run, and a recent rewatch made me realize how much of it I had forgotten.

The movie is essentially about a rivalry between two illusionists, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, set in the 1890s. It's a story about sacrifice, determination, and grandeur, in which a flawed narrative serves as the biggest illusion of it all. Pointlessly told in a non-linear fashion, it once again solidifies the idea that Nolan thinks that his movies are more profound than they actually are. How can one take the narrative seriously when it features so many laughable conveniences, foreshadowings, and exposition scenes? When it features one of the most ridiculous twists I've seen this century? When it combines magic and science in a way that doesn't make sense in the slightest? I get that the primary goal of the movie is to entertain, but Nolan's approach, illustrated by the film's tagline, invites the audience to use their brains to pick up details that will help understand what's going on, when in fact it only makes the experience far less enjoyable.

Technically speaking, I can't call the film a masterpiece either but the performances, cinematography, and set designs are all well handled. And unlike some of Nolan's other works, I can't label "The Prestige" a boring watch despite its flaws. What's the highlight of the film you ask? David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, and it's not even close.

FINAL GRADE: 6/10