These “obvious clues” include the wife’s ability to decipher whether or not her husband meant his words, using a double with a strikingly similar handicap, a dad who doesn’t remember that he promised to take his daughter to the zoo, and the pretense of living your entire life as part of an act. The inclusion of Chung Ling Soo is the most crippling to keeping “the prestige” under wraps; this American who disguised himself as a Chinaman lived his entire life without breaking character in public - much like Borden. Even so, in spite of the clear indications, the final “twist” parallels that of an X-files episode titled “The Amazing Maleeni.”
When a mash-up of a variety of elements successfully comes together, it’s like magic. While The Prestige is audacious, complex, and praiseworthy, it falls short of the magic act it’s cracked up to be. Nonetheless, you do get your money’s worth. The acting is intense, the direction creditable. Above all, The Prestige is a dynamic period piece.
However, when the movie dovetails into Nikola Tesla’s (David Bowie) historic scientific research, it is Tesla’s machinery that is hailed as paranormal sorcery, while the movie’s mystical magic is minimized to mere illusions and trickery. Why spiral into subatomic science-fiction in the middle of a perplexing magic show? And again, why play the audience for fools?
Amidst these two questions still lies a supernatural motion picture. See it to believe it.
Article comments
1 - Jordan Richardson
I love this film. Nice review, Brandon.