Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #627 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-12
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Prestige attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his Batman Begins star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, The Prestige still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --Ellen A. Kim

Synopsis
Director Christopher Nolan's (MEMENTO) eclectic resume gains another interesting entry with THE PRESTIGE. Set in early 20th-century London, the film centres on the bitter rivalry between two magicians who go to increasingly dangerous lengths to upstage one another. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman, X-MEN) and Alfred Bordon (Christian Bale, BATMAN BEGINS) start out as apprentice magicians, but when an elaborate stunt goes horribly wrong, they’re driven beyond the point of reconciliation. In the years that follow, Robert grows wildly jealous of Alfred's superior talents, so in a last ditch attempt to gain some artistic ground, he sends his beautiful assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson, MATCH POINT) to seduce Alfred and steal his secrets.
While comparisons to Neil Burger’s THE ILLUSIONIST are inevitable--both films are set around the same time period and both deal with suspicious attitudes towards magic--Nolan's film concentrates more on the dynamic between these two characters and the rivalry that governs their every move. As the narrative twists and turns down a number of unexpected avenues, the viewer is drawn into a complex world of smoke and mirrors, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. Bale and Jackman perfectly execute their roles, winding up the tension to an unbearable degree as they wilfully enter into some dangerously competitive patterns of behaviour. Michael Caine makes his second appearance in a Nolan film, almost reprising his role of Alfred in BATMAN BEGINS by playing Cutter, Jackman's mentor; and Johansson pouts and flounces across the elaborate sets like a classic Hollywood screen siren. Stylistically, THE PRESTIGE is full of dark, gloomy imagery and a palpable sense of menace. It's not an easy film to digest, but fans of intelligent cinema will be richly rewarded with a film that delivers on both style and substance.

Customer Reviews

Very entertaining .
A very enjoyable film , and one that should keep your attention right the way through to the end . Some reviewers , I feel , have been too critical of the film . Enjoy it for what it is , A couple of Illusionists trying to outdo each other , and entertaining the audience along the way .

tricky & decently entertaining
Good abracadabra movie... Interesting story, strong cast, moving performances and intricate plot make it highly watchable. It's like riding a roller coaster through an out-of-the-world backdrop. The treat of David Bowie is great. He's the real wizard here. Bale and Jackman deliver top notch performances too. The period is recreated nicely. Although, the forefront of the story is the never-ending rivalry between two aspiring albeit cunning magicians, it is about the consuming nature of envy and revenge. The final payoff of the film is two "big secrets" (somewhat forced though) which unravel at the very final moments.

But, for a movie about love, obsession, revenge, deception and self-absorption, it is remarkably lack of passion. Virtually no character development. The characters are somewhat thin; coincidences are mechanistic and unrealistic. The root of their mutual hatred is obscure. O.K. the accidental death of Angier's wife triggered their animosity, but why Borden had taken such a big risk by tying the wrong knot? Is it envy? Maybe, but the film tells nothing about it. There are some holes in the plot too (e.g. everytime both protagonists invite somebody from the audience to come on-stage to help him, it's turned out to be either Bale or Jackman). Vow... Such coincidences are ridiculously improbable, but let's admit that they are virtually necessary for the sake of plot.

Overall, "The Prestige" is a decently entertaining film which may deserve multiple viewings. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys tremendous twists and turns in movies. (3.7/5.0)

Ah, Nolan does it again.
I had read the book previously (which by the way is very good, if not better than the movie) and was shocked to discover that it differed a lot form the original material. Obviously this makes the movie bad, right?

Nope. Nolan has taken a different take on the book and has created something that only he can achieve as a director, a thriller that requires more than watch to understand and you actulally want to watch it again (at least I did).

If you liked this I would also recommened "Memento", also directed by Nolan.