The Prestige2006

86/100 This is, in my opinion, the most complex of the Nolan films so far, mostly through the narrative itself rather than the way it's presented, as Memento is his most non-linear work. However, though the film is complex to the point of confusion at times, it is still a great movie. The strongest point of the film, in my opinion, is how the characters are handled and performed. The central duo is a rivalry between Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier and Christian Bale as Alfred Borden. These two's rivalry dominates the film, and it is extremely well-written. Rivalries are a character dynamic I particularly enjoy because most of the time, whenever I see them, they're extremely well-written, and it's no different here. Nolan's screenplay shows you how this rivalry slowly destroys the lives of these men that had the potential for happiness. I also enjoyed several of the side characters' performance, as it was almost as good as the main characters themselves. Michael Caine's performance as John Cutter, as he's always a delight to see. David Bowie as Nikola Tesla was unexpected, but he was a fun addition and another good character as well, though it feels a bit weird saying that about a fictional representation of a real person. Nolan's direction is also good as well here. This is the first of his films I've seen which isn't in an at least somewhat contemporary setting, and he does a surprisingly good job making me feel the atmosphere of Victorian-era London. The story of the film itself, however, ends up as a double-edged sword. As I said before, the narrative is non-linear, a Nolan trademark, but also extremely complex with multiple twists and turns, making it feel somewhat confusing and hard to keep track. However, once you understand what's going on, the narrative becomes one of the best in any feature film. The way the movie handles the non-linear narrative is extremely clever and engaging, and the twist only helps serve the movie's themes. The themes are also amazingly handled, with questions of obsession and rivalry being posed throughout. This might also have some of the most clever writing in any of the movies I've seen with some excellent dialogue in multiple scenes, especially the conversation between Angier and Tesla, which comes back during the climax in a very clever way. This movie isn't nearly as entertaining as some other Nolan movies. I connect with the themes less, and I consider the central gimmick less interesting. However, the way it's presented is so good that somehow, I still think this film is great, one of Nolan's best so far.