The Prestige

"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 his ordinary something do something extraordinary. Now, if you're looking for the secret, you won't find it. That's why there's a third act called The Prestige: This is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before." (Quoth Cutter, played by Michael Caine)

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The Prestige is an unusual movie, which to me, right off the bat, means it has something good going for it. However, much as the mainstream movie critics blather on about the lack of originality in Hollywood film, when they see something off the beaten path they beat it to death with bad reviews. The Prestige is strange, complex, gritty, filled with twists and turns and ups and downs, and it boasts two lead characters who are not especially likeable. This is not usually a recipe for box office success, but let's hope that some of the names behind The Prestige will lure more than a few folks in.

The movie, directed by Batman Begins helmer Christopher Nolan (whose movie Memento is a favorite of mine), reunites him with his star from that film, Christian Bale (I loved him in American Psycho), as a talented stage magician living in London in the Victorian era. Borden has got the moves down, but not the panache. When it comes to flair, his rival, Angier (Hugh Jackman), has it in spades. How they became adversaries is interesting, and certainly is better set-up than the way the novel The Prestige portrayed the incident. The story follows the escalating one-upmanship between the illusionists as it gets ever more dangerous and finally, deadly.

The Prestige was a novel I rather disliked, so when I heard that Memento screenwriter Jonathan Nolan was returning for this adaptation, I was thrilled. While The Prestige is not as enjoyable as Memento by any stretch (or even the "other" magic-themed movie out this year, The Illusionist), it is still much, much better than the book. What really brings it to life is the excellent casting, and the amazing cinematic feel of Dickensian London (even though it was filmed in L.A.!).

The leads are both terrific, but it's the supporting cast that really puts the rabbit in the hat. Caine recently did fantastic work in Batman Begins alongside Bale, but let's face it… he's done way too many movies more like Bewitched in recent years. It's a pleasure to see him in a pivotal role that fits him like a fancy glove. Andy Serkis, who's done such memorable work with Peter Jackson, is doing something totally new here, and I love it. His counterpart in the film is the preeminent White Duke, David Bowie, as the real-life historical figure Nikola Tesla. (Yes, there's a bit of science — and sci-fi — mixed with the magic in this story!) The supporting cast is rounded out by Rebecca Hall, Piper Perabo, and Scarlett Johannson as a duplicitous femme fetale.

The Prestige is a dark movie. It's gritty (not gorgeous, like The Illusionist), it's mean (watch out, animal lovers), and it's not always easy to follow (twists and turns are accompanied by tongue-twisting London accents), but it's a journey well worth taking through the Pledge, the Turn, and of course, the Prestige.