(Plot Spoilers present in comments)
See the next in the series: here
"Any trick can be duplicated, right Mr. Cutter?"
The Prestige was released in 2006 to, what appeared to me, to be little fanfare or cultural relevance. The film was successful, but from my anecdotal experience seems to be mostly unknown.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, probably best known for The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception, the film follows a feud of one-upsmanship between two magicians complete with sabotage and intrigue. That's just the beginning however, as by the conclusion of the film it has veered distinctly into science fiction territory. I'd like to highlight some more of the plot, but I fear it would not be doing it or the audience justice.
The cast is star-studded. Our feuding magicians are literally Batman (Christian Bale) vs. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, seen above in his manliest pose).
Scarlett Johansson rounds out the magician crew as the lovely assistant.
Michael Caine, probably best known as Batman's butler Albert, plays the phenomenal Cutter, an inventor with some decidedly steampunk magical accessories:
It's difficult to put into words, especially when handicapped by spoilers, just why The Prestige is so amazing. The plot is complex with many details and layers. It's one of those dramas that you will notice additional details in on the second and third viewing that make you wonder what kind of obsessive mind did the editing and writing. The end result is you will be able to enjoy this film several times, despite the heavy and critical plot spoilers you will receive. I did not fully grasp the nuance of the plot on the first viewing at all. In fact, for the first and last time ever, I wanted to immediately re-watch the movie as I felt the plot just inches outside my grasp, like the memory of a dream upon waking.
In a remarkable performance that many people don't even notice, the late David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla - a very consequential character. It's probably my favorite minor supporting role of all time, and it's shocking how naturally Bowie takes to it:
The ending will blow you away, and may make you want to immediately re-view the film from a different perspective. In a way, it reminds me of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, or a particularly satisfying episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Myriad errant threads reform a single whole in the final moments. If you have even a passing interest in the film, be very careful about spoilers! You don't want to learn anything before you go in.
I'd love to hear your suggestions for other movies which did not receive their due attention.
Please be careful about spoilers in the comments!
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. The Prestige