Film Preview: The Prestige

Red Hot director Christopher Nolan (Momento, Batman Begins) brings Christopher Priest’s award-winning novel to the big screen. He and his brother Jonathon wrote the screenplay. For those of you that are wondering just what ‘the prestige’ refers to, it’s the part of a magic trick that shows you something unexplained, the last part of a magic trick.

The Prestige, set in turn of the century London, tells the story of Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), a couple of young magicians on the rise. What begins as friendly competition turns into something darker. Things escalate to the point where lives are in danger as each will stop at nothing in their quest for magical supremacy, endangering themselves and everyone around them.


In addition to Jackman and Bale, the cast includes two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine as a sort of mentor to Robert. The film also features Scarlett Johansson and rocker David Bowie. Bowie plays legendary scientist Nikola Tesla.
Initial reports are mixed on The Prestige. Almost everyone says visually it is impressive, with twists and turns galore. But most of the complaints appear to be directed to the very fact that the film contains lots of flash and trickery, so much it overwhelms everything else.

If my weekend goes right, I will be seeing this in the next day or so and will give everyone my own two cents.
Click here for trailer.
Click here for official web site.


Jeremy