Directed by:
Christopher NolanCinematography:
Wally PfisterComposer:
David JulyanCast:
Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Daniel Davis, Christopher Neame (more)VOD (2)
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Two young, passionate magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman), a charismatic showman, and Alfred Borden (Bale), a gifted illusionist, are friends and partners until one fateful night when their biggest trick goes terribly wrong. Now the bitterest of enemies, they will stop at nothing to learn each other's secrets. As their rivalry escalates into a total obsession full of deceit and sabotage, they risk everything to become the greatest magician of all time. But nothing is as it seems, so watch closely. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
Christopher Nolan is one of the cult directors of our time, so I was curious about his latest known film from his filmography, which I had not seen until now. Movie fans usually prefer his Batman comic adaptations, but those fall into the realm of mass popular culture and have such a silly foundation in their comic source that not even Nolan can turn them into a top-notch film masterpiece despite the generous budget and all the effort. I prefer the aspect of his work represented, for example, by Following, but that is not a viewer-friendly film and is more appreciated by a minority of film fans. In my eyes, The Prestige is a truly perfect combination of the professionalism of a large American studio with a generous budget and providing a generous cast and the creativity of a talented film creator who is capable, in this case, of presenting the audience with a film with a certain depth. The Prestige meets all my requirements for a good film - a visually interesting spectacle, a strong story, charismatic characters, an ambiguous script that enhances the story with a series of twists, and a thought-provoking world. Of course, some concessions to the audience could be pointed out here as well, but that's just how it goes in cinema, and in its category, The Prestige is a truly very above-average film. This film has a story that seems to have come from the pen of Jules Verne on the edge between the science fiction and mystery genres. It deals with the ruthless rivalry of two illusionists that goes beyond their profession to the extent that it destroys their closest surroundings and devours them. In the background of their conflict, we also see the no less forceful rivalry of two prominent scientists of the time - Nikola Tesla and Edison. We are in the 19th century with its boundless belief in scientific progress, and the culmination of the film also brings a warning against the misuse of scientific discovery for the satisfaction of one's egotistical cravings and even for crime. In addition, The Prestige also has excellent craftsmanship in the form of a dark atmosphere, finely pointed scenes, quality music, and attractive camera work. For me, a truly enjoyable experience that I appreciate with a 100% overall impression.
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Christopher Nolan didn't win me over as a great director with his Batman films (which were really great), but he did win me over with his perfect and well thought out masterpieces Inception and The Prestige. The film has an incredibly well thought out plot and very well done time shifts that you don’t get lost. And the director loves ambiguous endings, he's a real genius at that. The Prestige is great in every way. It has a strong premise (which is a bit like The Illusionist, but at the same time completely different), it doesn't lack action, romance and mystery, and it blew me away as a viewer - what more could I ask for? In short, I don't know what or how to write to lift the film to the heights ... so I simply applaud.
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Luckily the Nolan brothers played about sufficiently with the screenplay, so the result isn’t just a set of illustrations for the original book, but a self-standing creation. Not all the changes from the book are for the best (for instance, setting the story in the present day and its almost horror feel would have looked good in the movie too), but as a whole it holds together well and works without having to have read the book. Nolan plays an intelligent game with the viewer, asking a lot of questions, but also offering some answers. In terms of directing, he handles the movie with his own inimitable style and uses a similar storytelling method that he tried out in his debut movie, Following. The only more serious shortcoming is the pretty annoying partial happy ending; they should have left the ending the same as in the book.
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4 1/2 *. A return to subtle storytelling and definitely Nolan's best film since Memento. The only thing that bothered me was the literal conclusion. If Nolan had used a more elegant solution, perhaps in the form of hints, instead of a half-hearted explanation, it would have been a perfect experience. Nevertheless, with each new film of the N+N duo, it is true that "to have the ideas of the Nolan brothers is to be filmmaking legends in the future". Anyway, the trump card is the cast, with a very good Michael Caine, the almost inhumanly charismatic David "Tesla" Bowie and above all Christian Bale – an actor of many faces and you believe all of them. When he flashes his typical foxy smile, you'd go for a beer with him right away, but in front of his sinister expression you'd rather crawl under the table :). The atmosphere is scrumptious, and the sets are a separate chapter, they deserve some special film awards.
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Christopher Nolan is slowly but surely becoming one of my favourite directors. The Prestige is sharing with Memento the position of his best film (at least for me). I like his more intimate thrillers a bit more than Batman. The actors are superb, with a Christian Bale a lot more convincing than in Batman Begins and The Dark Night. The script is awesome, packed with minor turns and impressive situations and scenes, and by the end it delivers an unexpected twist that, although not as brilliant as Memento’s, makes everything fall into place and make perfect sense. I hope Nolan will take a break from Batman so we can get again something smaller.
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