Abracadabra

Quentin Tarantino burst on the scene over 10 years ago with his debut film, Pulp Fiction, during a time when cinema was in the burgeoning stages of an independent film boom.  One would say that it was this film that begat the many copycats with pop culture spewing hitmen and wiseguys, but what I remember most is the originality of the setting, usage of camera, and especially storytelling.  The disjointed narrative has become quite popular thereafter, with only a few films even coming close to matching his prowess.  That same feeling of witnessing the birth of a remarkable filmmaker touched down again five years ago after sitting through Christopher Nolan's Memento.  From the opening frame to the end, I was rapt.  The freshness of the storytelling really kept it a clean reminder of good cinema, but it was his dedication to character development that drew me in completely. With Insomnia and Batman Begins following said movie, my anticipation of his next was quite high.  When I found out he'd be re-teaming with Michael Caine and Christian Bale for The Prestige, I was already sold before a trailer had even been shown.

One must understand, that I do have an affinity for magic as it were.  Not movie magic or the magic one often reads in novels, but for tried and true magicians.  Seeing as the Prestige covers this subject matter, it's natural that I'm a sucker for the film to begin with.  Having not had the opportunity to see it when it first came out, G and I hopped on down to the good ol' Woodbridge Super Saver cinema in Irvine for our $1.50 movie tickets.  When you pay that much for your movie, there's no complaining about a dirty, old theater, there's just the knowledge you just paid $3 for two people to get into the movies.  Awesome.

Anyhow, this movie was great.  Set during the dawn of the electrical age, the Prestige follows the exploits of two rival magicians on a deadly collision course.  With Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in the lead roles, there's no doubt the acting was stellar, strengthened by strong supporting turns by David Bowie, Michael Caine, and a somewhat underused Scarlett Johansson.  The performances bring a lot of life to the film, especially since the plot itself is so complex.  It's safe to say there is no shortage of twists or turns without spoiling anything, but let's also say that we spent a good 15 minutes afterwards trying to summarize everything neatly.

In any case, I was impressed yet again by Mr. Nolan's adaptation of the original novel (which I have yet to read) which seemingly departs in a more sinister direction.  While many people would raise a questionable eyebrow at the screenplay choices made, I have to applaud the decisions.  To truly appreciate it, I suppose I'd have to read through the source material first, and after having seen the movie, I may move that book to the top of my reading queue.  What struck me the most about the film, eventually, was the subtle ways in which Mr. Nolan reveals his hand.  Much like a magic trick, the three-act structure of most movies leads to a climax just like that of a prestige.  Only the best movies though, can leave the audience fooled and feeling better for having been had.  The Prestige is such a movie.

Final Score:  4 out of 5 stars.