A masterful film - cinematic sleight of hand. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star as rival magicians, with a supporting cast including a barely recognisable David Bowie.
Of all the scenes in this film, two images stand out: a snowy hillside covered in top hats and an abandoned warehouse filled with glass cabinets that hide an awful secret which illustrate the lengths that the characters are willing to go to in order to perfect their "illusions".
I was haunted by this film for ages and couldn't put my finger on why it had such an impact on me. I still can't, if I'm honest. It defies my attempts to catagorise it - it's not a thriller, or a drama.. not really. It has aspects of each, but, at a push, I'd say its about the human condition - the darker side of obsession. There is no magic here - the enchantment has been stripped of it's gloss and glamour (there's another scene where Christian Bale manages to make a dove disappear in a cage by squashing both it and the cage!) leaving a murky world where there is no black and white, just a murky grey.
Both Bale and Jackman are superb, and make the film more believable - because if you don't believe in the characters then how can you care for the film, or the story?
This is a film for anyone who likes who-dunnits (because, at heart, that's what this is... in a way) and will reward those people brave enough to dare the Prestige!
..read more
