Prestige, The DVD Review

"The Prestige" reviews

DVD

The Prestige

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-03-09 16:00:51

Provider

DVD Review

Before Edward Norton attempted to pull a rabbit from his hat in The Illusionist came Christopher Nolan's vastly superior The Prestige, a thrilling tale of warring magicians in Victorian Britain.

Former colleagues, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) become fierce rivals when a trick they're both involved in goes badly wrong killing Angier's girlfriend. Angier can't shake his resentment with Borden, and though he is the better showman, he becomes fixed on finding the secrets to his rival's superior act, The Transformed Man. To unravel the trick Angier sends his assistant and lover, Scarlett Johansson, to uncover Borden's secrets, while he travels overseas to enlist the help of the mysterious Nikola Tesla (David Bowie, in his best role since Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence) to build him a machine that could prove to be much more than just an illusion.

Full of twists and jaw-dropping turns, director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins) handles the direction of this lush period piece with his customary skill. Bale, in particular, is strong while it's great to hear Michael Caine doing that Alfie-esque cockney accent again. Scarlett Johannson doesn't get a great deal to do, but hey she looks good and that English accent isn't bad, but The Prestige is all about the story, a thoroughly enjoyable magic flick that keeps throwing up surprises right up until the final credits.

DVD extra features include various featurettes such as The Director's Notebooks plus an interactive gallery of creative images, costumes, scenery and set design that inspired The Prestige's mysterious world of sorcery set in early 20 century London.