4 starsDirected by Christopher Nolan
Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson


The Prestige, the latest deliciously dark film from director Christopher Nolan, is one of those movies you wish would never end. Not simply because it's a good movie-which it is-but because the final revelation at the end, what stage magicians call "the prestige," doesn't quite achieve the satisfaction worthy of its setup.

That setup, however, is worth it, even for a disappointing ending. The story of two rival magicians, superior showman Angier (Hugh Jackman) and technical genius Borden (Christian Bale) is told in three interlocking narratives which fall into place with deft showmanship. A tragic event spurs Angier to take revenge against his former friend, and when Borden returns the favor, their feud escalates into an all-out war that consumes both them and everyone they care about.

Despite the occasional gems of cringe-worthy dialogue like, "His soul is restless, his wife and child, tormented," and "The man stole my life; I'm going to steal his trick," the screenplay is engrossing from the very first moments. Once a myriad of plot twists are woven into the tale, they only get bigger, better and nastier until the very end.

The last two minutes of the movie, however, are disappointing. Of the two final twists, one is low-impact and the other has been fairly obvious for some time. Up until those final lightweight minutes, every single turn in the complicated plot is genuinely surprising.

Keep an eye out for David Bowie, playing scientist Nikola Tesla with a twinkle in his eye and an endlessly amusing Eastern European accent, and Andy Serkis lavishing more talent on his throwaway part than it really deserves. Somewhat more visible is Scarlett Johansson, who plays Angier's buxom and scantily-clad assistant. The Prestige is the latest in a recent rash of movies that star not so much Ms. Johansson's artistic assets as her physical ones.

The Prestige is a well-plotted, well-acted, well-edited, cunningly directed, mean, nasty, beautiful and gruesome little movie in all the very best ways. Like any good magic trick, the film shows just enough artifice and flash to convince the audience that what they're seeing isn't real-it's better than real.

-Kate Roller