A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Reviews from Video Reviews of the Classics Personal Background

Title: The Prestige

Date Viewed: 10/21/06

Details:

Hugh Jackman

Christian Bale

Michael Caine

Piper Perabo

Rebecca Hall

Scarlett Johansson

David Bowie (Nikola Tesla)

Andy Serkis

Director: Christopher Nolan

Score: +

The Review: The pledge, the turn, and the prestige -- these are the three sequential stages of performing an illusion or magic trick, if we ascribe to science-fiction author Christopher Priest's approach to the field in his 1996 novel. The final stage of delivery has been pressed into business not only as the title of the book, but the movie as well: the dazzling finish, the crux of the illusion, the puzzle that has people talking long after the show is over. And buried in this specific puzzle is the reason why a science-fiction author might be attracted, as well as why a character study and engaging period mystery has, as a main character, the legendary inventor Tesla.

Basically the story of a long, obsessive and bizarre feud between two popular London stage magicians, it twists and turns from the stage, to the drawing room, to the mountains of Colorado, and finally to the basements and what passed for dungeons in turn-of-the-century London. The strong personalities of the pair involved focus the film and ground our interest. Jackman plays Robert Angier; he has engaged as technician and engineer Michael Cain, and stage assistant Scarlett Johansson. Bale plays Alfred Borden, who devises the astounding "Transported Man" illusion. Their feud goes back several years, and involves an on-stage accident. There are some confusing non-linearities in the time line; some of the flashbacks are a little difficult to edit into the current narrative -- but I may just have been too tired.

Good supporting cast, including curious turns by two familiar names: David Bowie as Nikola Tesla and Andy Serkis (who garnered fame in Lord of the Rings I, II, and III as the motion-capture armature for Gollum) as Tesla's assistant.

Interesting counterpart to this past summer's Illusionist, but very different in tone and theme. That was more a political thriller wrapped in illusion, this is more a science fiction quest wrapped in a feud.

(23-Dec-06)

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