Prestige Christopher Nolan Review

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johanssen; Directed by Christopher Nolan

This film centers around two magicians, Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale), who seek revenge upon one another for past wrongs. When Borden accidentally causes the death of Angier’s wife, it begins a bloody life-long feud between the two men who will stop at nothing to try and ruin each other’s careers. This obsession is a dark stain in their lives that will come to ruin everything they hold dear. Bordens’ affections for his wife seem to change daily with his mood. This leaves her in a painfully exasperated mental state; (“Do you love me?” “Not today.”). Angier compromises friendships with his faithful mentor and sometime booking agent, Cutter (Michael Caine), as well as a young assistant he falls in love with (Scarlett Johanssen). In a final act of desperation, Angier enlists the help of the inventor Tesla (played by David Bowie) to construct an instrument that will give Angier the upper hand he needs to put Borden out of business forever. The cost of this machine turns out to be unimaginably high, but it is a price that Angier will be willing to pay.

Christopher Nolan is best known for his inventive and mind-twisting concepts. His film, Memento, was our first introduction into his fascination with mental processes and psychology. This film is an interesting study of how far lives can break down when priorities are muddled and we come to embrace the ‘Mr. Hyde’ side of our personalities. These men were not heroes, they were not positive protagonists. They were their own worst villains. It’s a game they played that brought about very tragic consequences. I think that the film could have benifited from not only situations that were complex, but characters that were complex as well. The players of this story were kind of one-dimensional, but the great talents that were employed filled in the gaps very well. The acting by Mr. Jackman and Mr. Bale was superior. Though the two magicians had the same goals and practiced almost the same methods, their characters were distinctly different. I believe this is a credit to the actors rather than to the writer. The visuals were amazing. The dark cinematography fit the mood well and never seemed to romanticize it. This story could have been set in modern times, but making it a period piece gave it added charm and mystery. This is why I continue to be such a big fan of period pieces. This film further made the case for me.

Because the characters were flat, their actions were predictable. The writers completely gave the ending away to anyone who could put two and two together. I could even see most of the tragic events coming. It was a little dissapointing to sit there and be able to figure everything out, but the ride was still enjoyable. This movie was entertaining, and it wasn’t dumb entertainment. The dialogue was smart and real, and the performances took the audience on the ups and down with the characters. The ending did not dissapoint. Scarlett Johanssen’s character, Olivia, didn’t really have much of a purpose other than to drive a rift further between the two. But her character was really just the disposable ‘love interest’ character. Ms. Johanssen tried to make her more than what she was, but ultimately didn’t satisfy. Michael Caine was good, but he played the same mentor character we’ve seen him play before. In the end, I did like this film. It didn’t blow me away but it tried very hard to. I walked away happily satisfied nonethless, and I would recommend this film. It’s better and more complex than the previews make it out to be, and if you are a fan of Memento, I think that you will like this one even more.

Story = B

Originality = B+

Acting = A

Enjoyability = B+

Visuals = A

Overall Grade = B+