The Prestige (2006)

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Nolan (screenplay) and
Christopher Nolan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A Friendship That Became a Rivalry.

Plot:

The rivalry between two magicians is exacerbated when one of them performs the ultimate illusion.

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Death | Illusion | Revenge | Clone

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Hugh Jackman	...	Robert Angier
Christian Bale	...	Alfred Borden
Michael Caine	...	Cutter
Piper Perabo	...	Julia McCullough
Rebecca Hall	...	Sarah
Scarlett Johansson	...	Olivia Wenscombe
Samantha Mahurin	...	Jess
David Bowie	...	Tesla
Andy Serkis	...	Alley
Daniel Davis	...	Judge
Jim Piddock	...	Prosecutor
Christopher Neame	...	Defender
Mark Ryan	...	Captain
Roger Rees	...	Owens
Jamie Harris	...	Sullen Warder

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:18PL | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42935) | Philippines:R-13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Italy:T | Sweden:11 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Brazil:14 | Denmark:11 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Norway:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Belasco Theatre - 1060 S. Hill Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Chung Ling Soo was a stage character created by a Caucasian American man, William Ellsworth Robinson, who disguised himself as a Chinese man to cash in on audiences' enthusiasm for the exotic. Robinson lived as Chung, never breaking character while in public. He died in March 1918 when a bullet catch trick went wrong. "My God, I've been shot" were both his last words and the first English he had spoken on stage in 19 years.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene when Angier first meets Alley, Angier is getting up after being shocked by the fence, and his watch falls out of his pocket. In the next shot, the watch is in his pocket again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alfred Borden: Are you watching closely?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Director's Notebook (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tripping Gaily

Oscar Alert 2006: ''The Prestige''

This is why I'm considering 2006 the best year for movies in this decade. When I think I've seen enough excellent movies, one more just pops out to stun me. Christopher Nolan has proved to everyone how he is a spectacular director. After the magnificent ''Memento'', he continued a great career with the great ''Imsonia'' and the thrilling ''Batman Begins''. Now, he defines his career with ''The Prestige'', a mysterious dramatic thriller that proves to be his best movie since ''Memento''. The story revolves around two starting magicians, Rupert Angier and Alfred Borden (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, respectively), who start a friendship that eventually turns into rivalry after Rupert's wife is killed in a magic trick that went wrong. After that, the two start trying to discover each other's secrets, and ruin their tricks. It all changes when Alfred discovers the ultimate trick: the Transported Man, a trick that will make Rupert lose his mind in order to decipher it. ''Prestige'' is not a movie for everyone. It has a great amount of twists and turns, and has the ability to leave people shocked and confused. It is a love it or hate it type of film- and that's exactly what I'm afraid of. This movie is one of the best movies of the year (behind ''The Fountain'' and ''The Departed''), and marks a new beginning to the career of those involved in it. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman give out powerful performances. One man is confident and cool, while the other one is just losing his senses. I can imagine no other actors to portray these characters. Scarlett Johansson provides another good performance, and Andy Serkis is a vital part to the movie. The film also features a solid performance of David Bowie, playing an expert in electricity. Michael Caine is worthy of praise here, delivering another great performance. The movie, technically, is brilliant. The period of time portrayed (Victorian Era, curiously also shown in another magic movie this year, the weak ''The Illusionist'') is taken to perfection. The costumes are great, effects are truly believable, and the photography is stunning. The script is groundbreaking, offering great solutions and stunning twists. No doubt about it, this movie will suffer of an evil that another brilliant movie, ''The Departed'', suffered this year: people will criticize its ending. If you ask me, it was brilliant. This is a dark movie, one that may give you creeps through your body. And I love it when a movie can give me this feeling. The pace of the movie is non-linear, and that gets in the way a bit. But it is, beginning from today, one of my favorite contestants to the Oscar. Sure, this is not an Academy type movie. But if the Academy takes the idea of honoring the best movies of the year, than this movie will be there. A movie with the power of becoming a cult classic, ''The Prestige'' is magical. In every sense of the word.---10/10