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December 16, 2008
Guest Reviewer: The Prestige (2006)
Should I see it?
Yes.


***Thanks to Jeff of BURTONIA for offering his review***


In his recent book Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, Steven Johnson argues that today's movies and television shows are much more complicated than in days of yore and that this sophistication exercises our brains in beneficial ways. I'm not sure I agree with the thesis, but exhibit A in his defense might be The Prestige, an enjoyable and interesting film nearly spoiled by needless complication.

The movie takes place in the late 19th century and involves two aspiring stage magicians who start out as friends, but become bitter rivals. They are obsessed with discovering each other's tricks, while each plots to sabotage the other's act. The period setting and the focus on illusionists and their techniques together with the revenge and obsession angle make for a very agreeable combination. The films creators, however, tell the story in a way that makes the first half very difficult to follow. Make sure your soda is caffeinated, not in order to stay awake, but because you will need every bit of mental acuity to keep up.

The central problem is that the story is told in flashbacks from a main plot line. There are, however, two separate flashback threads, one that starts at the beginning of the protagonists careers (thread A), and one that begins much later (thread B). Thread A is further fractured by constant cuts between the separate activities of the two rivals. Matters are not helped by the fact that thread B and the main plot line both have the two men reading each other's notebooks. Now add three actresses who all look as if they could be sisters, and you can begin to understand the challenge. At times I felt like a pilot in a fancy new jet fighter, whose acrobatics were impressive, but the G forces drained the blood from my head. Fortunately, the theater was equipped with inflatable leg cuffs that kept me from passing out.

Despite the foregoing, the plot and characters were compelling enough to make me want to stick with it. The plot was coherent in spite of the way it unfolded. The ending involved the resolution of two interlocking mysteries. The film handled one half of this pair perfectly. The writers signaled the other half far too early and drained the finale of some surprise, but this is a minor criticism.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of the film is piecing together the many connections, foreshadowing, and allusions after you leave the theater. This is the kind of movie that could pay rewatching. Since I invariable watch a movie the first time for the plot, and subsequent times for outstanding dialog and characterization, I'll probably pass on that, as the script and acting are serviceable, but not stellar.

I recommend this film for its many pleasures, but it will make you work for them. Whether it will make you smarter is different question.


Related Reviews:
Christian Bale movies
Rescue Dawn (2006)
Harsh Time (2005)


Other Critic's Reviews:
In Film Australia
Film Critics United

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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




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