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The Prestige opens on a strange sight of a forest floor covered in regal black top hats and a voice-over from Michael Caine warning the viewer to "watch closely." Caine then goes on to explain the three acts of a magic trick: The Pledge, something ordinary the magician shows his audience, The Turn, where the magician does something extraordinary to this ordinary object, and The Prestige, where the magician brings the object back again. He tells us that it's not the disappearance of the object, be it a bird or a ball, that makes the trick truly great, it's the act of bringing that object back that produces all the wonder. This explanation is part and parcel to a film where the director wants to mirror the plot and twists of a magic act in order to dazzle the audience, and, for the most part, director Christopher Nolan succeeds.

Nolan has brought us some incredibly great movies, from indie hit Memento to blockbuster dazzler Batman Begins, and the common thread these movies have is their protagonists, anti-heroes who are plagued by obsessions that drive them into a darker sphere of life. The Prestige is no different. The story jumps around chronology to tell the story of two dueling magicians, Angier (played by Hugh Jackman) and Borden (played by Christian Bale), who used to be partners until a tragic accident involving Angier's wife drives a wedge between them. Angier becomes consumed with discovering how Borden performs his most astonishing trick, The Transported Man, where Borden enters one door on the stage and miraculously appears at another door mere seconds later. Angier even sends his new assistant/mistress (Scarlett Johansson) to spy on Borden, and their bitter battle becomes even more entangled and bloody. Seriously, it's Wolverine versus Batman.

This may sound slightly complicated, but it's all part of Nolan's trickery. He plans to fool you with one hand while the other pulls a rabbit out of a hat. The film features plenty of twists and turns, and they mostly work, but are a little predictable for the savvy film-goer.

In a movie season where period pieces are ruling supreme, The Prestige definitely holds water. The Victorian-era costumes and magic tricks are beautiful, yet far from distracting. This film truly relies on the brilliant actors it employs. Not only are Jackman and Bale at the top of their games, but the addition of Michael Caine to the mix is a treat. His character, Cutter, is the designer of magic tricks from water tanks to breakaway cages, and he always becomes the voice of reason and comfort in a film where obsession and revenge are the driving motivations. Scarlett Johansson looks beautiful and sports a great British accent, but does little else. Also, David Bowie, yes, David Bowie, pops up in a small role as Nikola Tesla who invents a very strange "magic trick" for Angier. Tesla's appearance offers up a question about technology being a sort of magic trick unto itself.

The movie might not feature a clear-cut hero, but both magicians showcase their strengths beautifully. Angier is the showman who is obsessed by learning secrets and answers, and Borden is the better magician who is consumed with keeping his. As with learning any magician's secret, the tricks begin to lose a little bit of their sparkle and wonder, and The Prestige has that slight disadvantage. However, The Prestige is a very polished film that the audience will surely enjoy. The plot is a little convoluted at times, but easy to follow if you heed Caine's warning to "watch closely."

Learn more about this author, Darcie Duttweiler.
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