"Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts."
The Pledge:
You might think this is yet another ordinary movie about the extraordinaire: magicians.
Don't be fooled. Pay close attention to every minor detail, or none at all, if you so wish.
The Turn:
Nolan transforms the extraordinary into something even better, something almost elusive to the normal viewer. His style, story, cinematography, writing, score is, as always, exceptional.
The Prestige:
Together with the great performances by Bale, Jackman and Caine, you will have witnessed "The Prestige" first hand by the end of the movie and it's simply amazing.
10/10 - Nolan does it again. A masterpiece in every regard. Worth watching many times.
"Are you watching closely?"
Highly entertaining flick with a lot of suspense and plot twists along the lines of Nolan's "Memento" make Prestige a great movie! Mainly the double-crossing of the "Transported Man" trick is a superb idea: while Borden only uses a (perfect) double / assistant (which has to cut off some of his fingers to be as identical as Borden himself as possible), Angier uses a machine to clone himself, which forces him to kill his "double" after every performance of the trick. This leads to the situation that both magicians are not only incapable of finding out how the rival does the trick but also to the fact that in the end both die because of the repercussions of the trick: Borden is (falsely) accused of killing Angier (after the death of one of Angier's clones is blamed on Borden) and hanged for the crime while Angier is shot by Borden's assistant / double as the only means to save the Borden's daughter from being raised by Angier.
One of my favourites movies... when it ended I couldn't stop thinking about what the hell was going on, and I had to re-watch some scenes and started looking on internet others reactions and theories about the ending...
Really good movie!
watched the prestige recently and i'm down to recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it, great movie
Honestly. I get what the movie was going for but... it is way too simplistic. The whole science part of it was seriously underwhelming. And the characters motives for doing what they do, seems a bit flimsy after a while. The acting is also not the greatest. And I expected much more from the twist as well. Funnily enough the twist is exactly like they say in the movie, too simple.
The science stuff and the magic is unfortunately what could have made this movie super interesting, and it is barely explored. Disappointing.
A movie about rivaling magicians staring Batman, Wolverine and Black Widow. What's not to love? Seeing it again with the twists known only make this better.
great movie. you have to be very concentrate to watch all the small details. and is even awesome when you watch the second time
I was enjoying this all the way through, thought it was pretty solid. A few twists and turns came, I thought them rather predictable, but still, I was getting ready to rate this a solid 8/10. Then the final twist came and I blurted out a loud "holy shit."
Masterful. Simply masterful. I wish I could watch it for the first time again.
Spoiler-free summary: The Prestige is a compellingly-told story about two deeply unlikable magicians.
For Angier's part, his obsession is clearly unhealthy. Cutter tells him as much, as does Tesla. He appeared to be friendly with Borden before the incident, and I'm not sure his transformation into a revenge-obsessed Lord is believable. Of course his anger is believable, but where did he get such vast amounts of money if his magic career was struggling due to Borden's continuing sabotage?
Then there's Borden: Whether or not he could remember which knot he tied that fateful night, I place at his feet all of the blame for Angier's self-destruction. Alfred never comes across as sorry in the least for his possible role in Julia's death. Presumably at that point in time, he wasn't living "half a life" yet, because The Transported Man wasn't yet being performed, so it can only have been him on that stage. In the aftermath, he didn't even need to help Angier. Simply not sabotaging the career of the man whose wife he might have killed would have been enough to satisfy me.
They're both complete jerks to each other, and one might reasonably expect Victorian men to have more honor than either displayed. It's frankly a bit disgusting how much intrigue Nolan wrung out of these two hotheaded pricks.
Nolan's best work for me.
Great acting, character development, and puzzles to solve. Would like to watch again years from now, knowing how each man's trick worked, and keeping that in mind as I watched.
Plot holes explained:
Cutter thought The Machine was a teleporter not a Duplicator. That's what it explained to judge in private.
Which knot? The twin that tied the knot didn't know it was a dry only knot and should be tied loosely. Angier's wife gave the nod to oblivious twin and he tied too tightly just like in wet knot. Cutter must have known which knot was tied by looking at dead body and told Angier. That's why Cutter is deeply upset with Borden at funeral. Angier just wanted a confession from Borden but he didn't want to tell Angier it was partially Piper fault and also aknowledging would risk his secret because of the mistake of not telling oblivious twin of the risk of dry knot.
Why kill duplicates? Magicians kill birds so killing duplicates is the same. Borden loves his twin and was more than happy to have a half life in order to be able to do Transporter Man. Angier in the other hand didn't need duplicate. Cutter also lied to confort him at funeral. He wanted to kill Borden so he was a murderer.
Good movie cause it's kind of unique. Good actors. Good execution. Like it because it doesn't need action or constant violence.
At times it's a bit boring due to the many inner monologues; at times the jumps back and forth in time conceal the fact that the the story isn't really as complex as you might think (that's of course another analogy to the magic tricks). I'm not sure whether I feel good about the fact that nobody in this movie is likeable (perhaps only Sarah and her girl). Also it lacks realism. I mean, that's not the point of this movie (quite the contrary), but I don't understand why they keep fighting each other w/o the police (or reason) getting involved earlier. I was constantly asking that myself and this took away some of my overall satisfaction (guess I'm a very rational man who doesn't really understand obsession and doesn't like magic shows). And that's why I don't like the Tesla part to be honest. Couldn't they have told this story w/o Tesla's cloning machine? W/o it, I maybe would appreciate the story more since the story could have actually happened this way or similar. It would have been a story about two (three) frankly insane men fighting each other, because they are obsessed with their art, with revenge, with each other, with fame. Men who place their professional life above else even if that means losing your loved ones in order to protect the rather ordinary fact that there's a twin brother (Question: why did they keep it a secret to their partners? Didn't Olivia must have known 'cause she knew the trick? And wasn't Sarah able to identify that the other guy is a twin brother? I can hardly believe they didn't know? Why all that drama then?) . But actual cloning ? For real? Even if that makes a great analogy to the bird in the cage trick, I wish they would have cut out this element.
Still, overall, it's a very good movie full of well devised scenes.
Use Tesla's name to promote something "mystical"?! Really!? The idea is OK, but for a movie about tricks, introducing something unrealistic just spoils what could be a nice ending.
"The Prestige" is gimmicky and pretentious but, unlike most of Christopher Nolan's blockbusters, it's sophisticated and fascinating without ending up being incoherent or unnecessarily overcomplicated. After all, gimmicks are more than necessary in a film about magic tricks and illusions. On a second watch, you will notice that all the clues have been there from the beginning, incredibly easy to spot. However, the film manages to do the magic and keep the tricks almost unnoticed until the three timelines converge at the end. "The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know".
Overall, a great story about how far men can go to fulfill their ambitions and feed their insatiable thirst for knowledge. Both characters are equally ambiguous and fascinating, even though Nolan clearly favors Borden's innate talent, dedication, and commitment over Angier's wicked narcissism and inferiority complex.
The script and editing are crystal clear, leaving no contradiction left. However, subtlety tends to be sacrificed to overexplain and keep things explicit enough for distracted viewers.
The film is entertaining, of course, but in my opinion, Nolan has lost his way. The story wants to go further than it can in itself.
First, the principle of operation of the Tesla coil is that it ionizes the air and allows wireless transmission of electricity. And yes, I criticize it because in the same movie they talk about selling a magic trick and at the same time they put this Deus ex machina with shoehorn: the machine's ability to magically clone (never better). At the end of the film you see that the machine has an emitter and a receiver. However, with cats and hats it is not like that, they just appear out of nowhere in the garden. It is annoying that the film justifies itself simply by saying "it is science". Jules Verne in almost all his works or Mary Shelley with Frankenstein tried to conceal science fiction, or at least make it credible, with words and not lightning and sounds. The main problem of this type of events is that, when the lack of internal coherence is perceived, it produces discomfort. On the one hand, it is an easy method to obtain the desired plot, but it has also made the whole thing not credible or even bordering on the absurd.
On the other hand, in my opinion, the dialogues are a bit lazy. It's impossible to believe that the characters in the story said all that nonsense with conviction. I refuse to believe it. Likewise, the existence of the twin brother is not credible, let alone that he cut off both fingers on purpose by magic. In other words, according to the film, the brothers have decided to live by swapping roles with fake glasses, a wig and a moustache and mute for the rest of their lives and sharing scars with each other. Ah! and the worst thing is that the death of one of them has not affected the other brother at all, instead he has gone to his former best friend to shoot him and tell him the story of his trick.
In short, entertaining to watch on TV on a boring day, but not to watch again.
When I start watching this I didn't know who is the director, every bit of scene is complete , my mind told me who can make this such of realistic, awesomeness, after a long day my mind fell take some time to relax. The two carecter of same situation reflect :100:
One of the movies that burn the brain and make the end wow. Really, Nolan is doing this job very well.
Underrated movie. Was truly a masterpiece! I easily figured out the twist about Angier setting up a clone in order to frame Borden, but was mindblown when Borden revealed the truth about him and Fallon!
The best part is you can never be sure who was who at the end. That could've been Fallon who killed Algier, just like it could've been a clone who had been killed, while the real Algier lived on. The audience will never know the truth!
I'm so glad I watched this!!
The prestige is a movie that comes along once in a lifetime, one with a truly extraordinary cast and equally impressive writing with the obviously great Christopher Nolan as the director. This movie is one of my favorites and has been for many years. Each and every aspect of the film is created intelligently and is a must watch, in my opinion, for any movie enthusiasts out there.
If I wanted to see trash men getting away with being a terrible person, husband, lover, father, friend and colleague, I'd watch reality tv. Borden was a selfish, take-it-all, he had everything in his life (two fold), yet those around him suffer from his false nature. He's been playing with people's lives so he could 'have it all'. But still, hypocritically, he cries out at Angier for 'playing with' his and his daughter's lives. (He's also killed Angier's wife but whatevs, right) The ending is presented as victorious, Borden killing Angier for framing him as his murderer, him victoriously ascending from Angier's 'filth' (like. that WAS fucked up but that's not the point now). Man, do I feel robbed. Guess I'll just resort to editing it to my taste.
Decent but overrated. Plot got a bit stupid just to be complex. Where did angier get his Lord mansion and money from? Did he get a wooden leg at some point? If Alfred's secret was being a twin why did he mention Tesla at all? Why did Tesla coincidentally have a machine that makes a double? Why did he just give the machine away and vanish? This movie dressed up the stupidity well. It was a trick in itself. Some of characters made some very odd and unbelievable moral decisions. Some of the acting was awful. Especially Bowie. Caine was good. The plot twists were predictable.
It's close. I don't know if this surpasses "The Dark Knight" as my favorite Christopher Nolan film but it's neck and neck.
"The Prestige" is a quite bit different that the action driven Batman films that Nolan is famous for. It's a great tale about competition using magic as it's plot driver. Magic is certainly interesting but once you know the trick it loses all of it's mystery. So Nolan throws us for a loop when he adds a Science Fiction element to the story featuring none other than the great inventor Nikola Tesla. Tesla has always been a point of interest to me. He's someone that was so far ahead of others during his time that he seems otherworldly. The fact that Nolan weaves him into this story and turns this already mysterious but earthly tale into one of fantasy is quite a sleight of hand in itself.
The whole film is full of twists and surprises. It's well acted and it looks great which is what you'd expect from a Nolan film. This was a real conversation piece when I was talking movies with some friends recently. Any fan of Nolan's Batman films will like this. Fans of The Twilight Zone and other sources of Fantasy should watch this immediately.
I had already seen The Illusionist and enjoyed that film but I know several others that said that this was an even better movie. About halfway through the movie I wasn't quite sure. The movie was a study in human aspiration and revenge and I always find that interesting. What really made the movie was a series of plot twists with a backdrop of the mystical. As Michael Caine tells you in the opening, watch very closely.
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'The Prestige' is tremendous!
An expertly made movie about magic, one that lasts just over two hours but it is most definitely 120mins+ well spent. I was sold by the whole vibe of it from the very beginning, sometimes you can just tell you're going to absolutely enjoy something from the opening minutes and this, for me, was one of those films.
The casting is terrific, many well known faces appear. Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine (how about that speech), Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson are all brilliant, the latter two do hold minimally iffy accents though; or maybe it was just me. There are a few other strong performers too, like Andy Serkis and David Bowie! No-one onscreen puts a foot wrong.
Christopher Nolan is again back to his twisty best with this one. It's admittedly nothing as super deep as, say, 'Inception' and I did read where this one was going in certain aspects, though certainly not every angle - either way, it's just as thrilling to watch no matter how much or how little you pick up. Big fan of the way the film depicts its events throughout.
Just now seeing how highly this is regarded, on Letterboxd at least. I know I do try to avoid as much as I can with movies, but based on the aforementioned I'm kinda shocked I hadn't heard anything about this growing up or even in recent years. Most of Nolan's other works I at least recall hearing through the grapevine, yet this one evidently somehow slipped through the net. Probably a good thing, mind you.
nice movie. The story is mindblowing, i wonder if it is rewatchable...
I wish I could erase my memory and watch this movie again.
Enjoyable and very well-done movie. Just the whole rivalry became almost cartooney towards the end where it felt just forced so there is a story.
Every magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called the Pledge. The magician shows you something ordinary. The second act is called the Turn. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it into something extraordinary. But you wouldn't clap yet because making something disappear isn't enough. You have to bring it back. The third part is called the Prestige, where the magician brings it back.
This is a must watch for just about anyone. Deserves to be on any list of great movies. If you have not seen it or know anyone that has not seen it, definitely press play.
This is such a fine film on every level that a film can be measured. It's my belief that this was Christopher Nolan's best work. It's a dark, disquieting movie that takes you by surprise. If you enjoy fine acting, writing, direction, and or dramatic mysteries, then you will likely enjoy this film.
I don't have much to say about this movie. Another bop directed by the great Christopher Nolan.
If it leaves a little to be desired? Maybe so... I think that of the films directed by Nolan (I only have yet to review Memento) this is the one with the most predictable plot, that twist at the end... I saw it coming a mile away. However, it is to be commended, as always, for the directing and the incredible cast filled with stars like Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, through Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine (I swear Michael just randomly spawns in every Christopher Nolan film).
The subject matter itself is extremely captivating and enticing, especially for me who once had my magic time too (I still have a notebook with 20 pages of instructions on how to do card tricks). The theme was very well used and handled, too.
Overall, a very good movie, but not great (the ending leaves a bit to be desired).
The film "The Prestige" made in 2006 by Christopher Nolan is considered a drama, thriller and mystery film. The story of the film tells the story of two close friends named "Alfred Bourdin" and "Robert Engir" who are both characters who seek to defeat each other.
Throughout the film, the two characters Alfred and Robert are competing with each other to come up with the best sculpted figure for their shows. However, this rivalry gradually turns into something more than a match, and the two characters seek revenge on each other.
The film "The Prestige" has become one of the best films of the 2000s due to a complex and fascinating story, the outstanding performance of actors such as Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine, the wonderful music of Hans Zimmer and the outstanding direction of Christopher Nolan.
The Prestige also brilliantly explores how power and fame can be heartbreakingly destructive and how revenge can be so unforgiving that it can even cost lives.
Nolan's best movie I've seen so far, simply genius and magnificent
Christopher Nolan's use of a simple idea behind a magic trick for the plot of this movie is genius and something no audience member will pick up on before it is too late. The actors and cinematography are also great at hiding little details from you that otherwise would give away the "trick" of this movie.
almost as good as inception. in my opinion inception is better because of the whole idea and plot but this movie has its interesting story too!! i adored the plot twist at the end, a little bit expected but at the same time you could never think it all through like nolan did. a good movie that i can't wait to rewatch it. haven't seen all his films yet but for now it's my second favorite. i still can't stop thinking about the plot twist!
I love Christopher Nolan, and this may have been my first love with him. I remember watching this for the first time when I was 11/12 and immediately needing to rewatch it. It’s so expertly crafted in its story telling mechanisms that the twist isn’t even a twist. It repeatedly begs the question “Are you watching closely?”, and still executes the magic trick on you. I watched this again today and it’s still just as special to me as it’s been for the last fifteen years. This is truly a must see in my opinion!
Rating: 5/5 (:star:) - 10/10 - Must See
Half way through it seems like he probably faked his death to get back at him for killing his wife
The Prestige sets upon a journey of setup, builds them up countless times and when it starts paying them off, you can't help but feel extremely satisfied. Although devoid of well developed characters, Nolan visibly doesn't need them to make a movie this compelling and clever.
Undoubtedly regarded as a masterpiece, this Jackman and Bale starrer is smart , intriguing tale of deceit and obsession tailored by the genius of Christopher Nolan. Prestige is a cinematic marvel , a dazzling period drama which doesn't stop challenging its audience. A Magnum Opus no questions asked.
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I love this movie, it's that type of movie that makes you satisfied but still left wanting answers. Great acting from Bale and Hugh Jackman and a brilliant riddle of a story from beginning to end.
Absolutely incredible movie. keeps you guessing till the end. so many twists and turns
An onstage tragedy begets a lifelong blood feud between two illusionists in Edwardian London. As the pair of tortured former apprentices take turns one-upping and/or sabotaging each other, stakes spiral out of control and doses of collateral damage are traded like chips at the poker table. There's always a new trick to master, metaphorical mountains to summit in the name of ultimate victory, and this duel of private obsession leaves no stone un-crushed. As they confound and confuse one another, so do they astonish and amaze the viewer; half the fun is in learning how each man achieves the impossible, then watching as their rival maliciously thwarts it before a paying audience.
Magnetic costars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman really wore their working boots to this set, allowing their heavyweight personalities to smash and spark from the very first word. Their performances are boosted by a string of excellent supporting players. Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson make wonderful contributions, as always, but there's something extra-special about David Bowie, in a typically small, offbeat role, as the reclusive Russian genius Nikola Tesla.
With the Nolan brothers working behind the camera, twists and turns are to be expected, and after setting the stage with a series of low-key appetizers in the early acts, they deliver a string of jumbo-sized whoppers during the climax. Expertly paced and brilliantly tailored to match the tempo and bravado of a world-class magic act, The Prestige is a high-water mark in the writer/director duo's already-impressive filmography.
the guy who made this movie and the cast are good, they should try acting as their career.
“Are you watching closely?” From visionary director Christopher Nolan comes the fascinating psychological thriller The Prestige. A competition between two magicians turns deadly as their obsession with perfecting their craft spirals out of control. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson, the performances are quite impressive. And the writing is very good; particularly in its character building, and the way that it incorporates its themes of obsession and illusion. However, the plot is dark and cheats a bit. Imaginative and well-crafted, The Prestige is a captivating thriller.
It's a must watch for its non-linear narrative
Although I'm still a bit puzzled I thought it was an amazing movie with a very strong ending.
10 - Totally Ninja!
I found the movie a little bit confusing at the beginning with all the new characters and changing between times but I can truly say this movie suprised me for the better.
Bale and Jackman's on-screen rivalry makes for compelling watching, but The Prestige shows too many of its cards too soon, making for a predictable final (or rather, prestige) act.
Both a natural and supernatural mystery. One might expect one but not the other. Excellent cast. Great premise. But the reveal was both anticipated and obscured as the lines of the genres were blurred. I'll leave you to figure out this riddle. I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10. [Mystery Drama]
The Prestige is a superbly directed historical mystery film sprinkled with a triangle drama and some fine old-school magic. I love the unconventional (and Nolan-esque) storytelling, which shifts back and forth between the past and the present. I love Christian bale, who makes one of his finest performances here (I can't decide if this is his best performance or the one in American Psycho). I love how they show you how some of the illusions are performed and the trick STILL feel like true magic.
And no, I'm not forgetting the other actors. The performances are all wonderful. Hugh Jackman is never bad in anything he is in, and The Prestige is no exception. I also love the small part David Bowie plays in the movie - a shame we didn't get to see more of him on the silver screen before his passing.
This is no action movie filled with magic trick, like the equally brilliant Now You See Me. No, The Prestige is a mystery film, and a great one at that. The thrills of this film are contained within the magic, the competition between two illusionist in love. The storytelling has a nice flow to it, and the movie feels compelling from the beginning to the end. And just when you think you've figured it all out, the Nolan brothers throw in a final twist and shake it all up again! It makes the entire film itself feel like one, massive magic trick.
Loved this movie. A feud between magicians is a first plus talented actors to drive it home. excellent couch hugger for the collection
1.) Christian Bale - Hugh Jackman - Christian Bale : That all !!
It was good though I had trouble figuring out at times who was who and where we were in the timeline. There are literally 146 timejumps in this film. The last act is strong and highly enjoyable, even if you already know some of the twists as this was my first time watching and it's an older film.
Wow. Pure mindfuck. The script is a true masterpiece. Memento is my favourite movie of all time and The Prestige has a few similar elements but is not as good as Memento.
The Prestige is another Christopher Nolan classic. The mystery is always interesting (I'm not sure if he intends for us to find out the twist or not). Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman form a fascinating rivalry and their motivations are very clear. The villain that you see at the start of the film may not be the same in the end.
I'm speechless, I have nothing to say but Mind-blowing!!
A stylish, uniquely twisted period piece.
Amazing, they stole the show
The example that shows Christopher Nolan can make good films.
where i can learn more about tesla?
Sick ambitions can lead to suffering...
Haha, esse filme é sensacional, cheio de mistérios, suspense e reviravoltas... fiquei vidrado do começo ao fim só para finalmente descobrir qual era o grande truque.
My favorite movie of all time, it's amazing.
Plot twist :P
Nice, nice, nice movie, one of my favorites.
Wow..
Really great movie.
It was on top of my recommendations list for a long time.
I finally saw it, and regret it took me so long.
This was a good one but I don't see why memento is such a crowd-pleaser. That movie is just ok for me and was ruined it repeatedly being in the myspace movies section's of people who I considered terrible myspace attention whores and emo kids. Other movies people liked on myspace include requiem for a dream, donnie darko, seven, fight club (unless of course you put it into the books section and in that case you were even worse of a human being)
With "The Prestige" Christopher Nolan proofed again that he is without a doubt the most innovative film director, screenwriter and producer in history.
His outstanding work "Memento", "Batman Begins", "The Dark Knight", "Inception" and more, earned a total over nearly USD$ 1.2 billion at the box office.
This is one of the few movies, that will not let you stop thinking & give a lot to discuss about.
If you've loved "Inception" I recommend you go see this as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed!
i'm stunned.. completely speechless.
Shout by Daisy Victoria EdwardsBlockedParentSpoilers2015-07-09T22:04:06Z
Just mindblowing. It's strange watching it the second time round knowing the secrets but it's a completely different but delightful experience. I do wish that I could watch films like these with fresh eyes sometimes though. Nolan's a genius. Simple.