Every great magic trick has three acts: the pledge (something ordinary is presented), the turn (something extraordinary happens), and the prestige (the final, mystifying reappearance that sends the audience wild with imagination). Many great stories also have three acts, and The Prestige follows this structure to create a suspenseful, supernatural thriller-mystery with plenty of twists.
Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are two magicians in turn-of-the-century London. When one excels in his act, the other has to one up the other. When tragedy strikes, their friendly competition turns into bitter, vengeful rivalry.
Angier is the better showman, but Borden is the better magician. When Borden creates the "Transported Man" trick, Angier is green with envy. Worse, he can't figure out how Borden does it. The obsession of finding the answer and doing it better than Borden is driving Angier mad, putting a wedge between him and his manager, Cutter (Michael Caine). Angier sends his assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) to spy on Borden, steals his secret journal, and demands the cypher by kidnapping Borden's brother.
Borden's answer sends Angier to America to find Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) to build him a machine that would actually transport a person. While Angier spends his time waiting on Tesla and deciphering Borden's journal, Borden is enjoying tremendous success in London and carrying on an affair with Olivia, betraying his wife's love. Soon, Angier returns from America and puts on 100 performances of his own "Transported Man," one that is bigger, better, and more amazing than Borden's. Desperate to know Angier's secret, Borden sneaks in and discovers the horrible truth, which may ultimately cost him his life.
All the leads do beautiful work in this intriguing mind-twister. As Angier, Jackman (Scoop) is dashing, charming, yet burdened by a sinister obsession that leads him down a horrible path. Equally impressive is Bale (Batman Returns) as Borden, Angier's archenemy. Of the two, Bale's role requires more depth, complexity, and emotional distance and he pulls it off nicely. Caine (Batman Returns) is simply brilliant with his underplayed characterization of Cutter, the narrator and moral center of the whole story.
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