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Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall ...( see more  see more... ) , Scarlett Johansson , Samantha Mahurin , David Bowie , Andy Serkis

Robert and Alfred are rival magicians. When Alfred performs the ultimate magic trick, Robert tries desperately to find out the secret to the trick.

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90% liked it

490,582 ratings

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75% liked it

184 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Release Date: October 20, 2006

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DVD Release Date: February 20, 2007

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The Prestige (2006) The Prestige The Prestige (2006) The Prestige (2006) Are You Watching Closely? Chrisitan Bale He was born January 30, 1974 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. Angier and Cutter 2 Angier Borden Robert Angier Angier 2 Angier and Cutter 3 Are You Watching Closely? Rebecca Hall in The Prestige The Prestige (2006) The Prestige - Christian Bale & Rebecca Hall Olivia
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Flixster Reviews (51,554)

  • AgentLexi2132
    January 26, 2010
    AgentLexi2132
    ''Never show anyone. They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them. The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything.''

    Having been firm friends, a friendship turns into a deadly rival...( read more)ry. When Alfred performs the ultimate magic trick, Robert tries desperately to find out the secret to the trick and to use it for his own means. Obsession turns the two men and begins to unravel their lives...

    Hugh Jackman: Robert Angier

    Christian Bale: Alfred Borden

    The Prestige(2006) is the film adaptation from Director Christopher Nolan based upon the book by Christopher Priest. The story is simply, diversely about two entertaining magicians whom become friends then later rivals; a friendship that turns to rivalry, a rivalry that turns deadly. Friendly rivalry becomes an obsession. They start to spiral into complexities as their obsessions eclipse and destroy their lives.


    The story is in a word mesmerizing. You cannot help but stay focused, and throughout the film as you want to know what will follow. There are many twists and turns within the snake labyrinthine plot, There is a quote in the film used throughout, "Are you watching closely?"...You need to be paying close attention with the The Prestige and every viewing is as if one is deciphering a Rubix cube.

    Beside the twists, the turns, the shocks and surprises, the performances and casting are truly phenomenal.
    Hugh Jackman was a big surprise success as Rupert Angier, whom chooses deep films like the layered project from Darren Aronofsky The Fountain. The Prestige again shows Hugh Jackman as a man whom chooses his scripts wisely.
    Christian Bale again always on top form in any Nolan collaboration; He gives life, depth and vitality to his character Alfred Borden.
    Michael Cane as Cutter shows us a veteran hand, Nolan, Bale & Nolan in a Batman successful partnership once again.
    Scarlett Johansson also very good as Olivia Wenscombe. Piper Perabo makes a short appearance but very effective and memorable.
    Even Legend David Bowie and Andy Serkis popped up as Nikola Tesla and Alley.

    Christopher Nolan's The Prestige achieves in bringing to life a dark tale of dueling magicians, cunning betrayals laced with rivalry, magical trickery, all resulting in high quality dazzling entertainment and drenched with darkness and mystery; True to Nolan's style and nature. The Prestige isn't a battle of words, but one of actions and of wit. The film is full of mirroring and doubling, so it's not surprising that the magicians' feud is indeed mirrored by Nikola Tesla's equally dangerous rivalry with Thomas Edison over electricity and science.
    Magic, Science and Mystery all merge into a perfect equation for both stories and film-making, in the way the spectacle could almost be an allegory about why we do the things we do to feel complete. Each protagonist is in search of his destiny and achieving aspiring greatness in his craft. Bale has the genius but not the ability to sell his illusions to an audience. Jackman has the showmanship but not the originality to create a truly great trick. In the middle is Michael Caine's engine, the backstage genius with the surprisingly shaky cockney accent, caught somewhere between director and ghost writer in the scheme of things.

    Ultimately, it's a film that could be about everything or about absolutely nothing, one that is either led entirely by plot differentiating or one where the themes and storytelling dictate the characters' actions far more than credibility, and where the biggest trick is that ultimately there is no trick. All interpretations seem equally valid, which is part of the fun and puzzlement. The Prestige is a period film with a modern, unique feel that will leave you contemplating, leave you wondering, leave you breathless.

    ''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 work it out. You want to be fooled.''
  • allan913
    January 9, 2010
    allan913
    A magnificent and riveting epic first-rate thriller. A masterpiece. Director, Christopher Nolan delivers a superb film. It's pure magic. An instant classic. Dazzling film making. Astonishing, brilliant, stylish, compelling and nail-biting. Thrilling and exhilarating. It's extraor...( read more)dinary, stunning, spellbinding, outstanding, eye-popping and mind-blowing. It will have you gripping your seat through every awesome twist and breathtaking turn right to the very shocking finish. You wont know what hits you next. Breathtaking excitement and suspense that will keep you guessing right till the very end. Truly incredible and absolutely unforgettable. Theirs outstanding performances all around. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale give sensational performances. Bale is great and compelling. Jackman is powerful and engaging. Michael Caine gives a marvelous performance. Terrific entertainment that will keep you on the edge of your seat. An excellent and truly amazing movie. Intelligent, ingenious, mesmerizing and original. A body of work of an expert craftsman.
  • binky013
    January 8, 2010
    binky013
    What a great ensemble cast effort, huh? The highest kind of synergy. And if you know my, uh, fingerprints, then you know that I give the nod to great direction when it comes to superior ensemble cast performance.

    Also, this is a beautiful looking film. Whatever they may say

    ...( read more) about simultaneously reflecting Victorian times -- which I'm not quite old enough to have experienced for myself first-hand -- and not wanting to fall into the period-genre category, they did fall into that category. As I watch this, I truly do believe that I'm seeing the turn of the 19th century live and in person.

    Okay, now for the bad news. I have a strong feeling that The Usual Suspects has set a kind of bar for brilliant manipulation of the audience that is extremely high. Now the beauty of that script is, from a literary standpoint, that it hits clean and true on all cylinders. The prestige -- if you will -- of The Usual Suspects is that the ending makes sense and everything falls into perfect place. Sadly, the denouement of The Prestige is like a very well-made soufflé falling flat as a pancake as it hits the dinner table.

    Besides a poorly executed ending, this script suffers from multiple literary lacerations that could have been easily staunched if there had simply been a better writer on the script. I would never want to read this novel. No way. The author of the novel upon which the script is based has a hand in the script, and that is a bright red-flag in terms of wasting your life reading the novel after having seen how flawed the film story is.

    What in the heck is with the Tesla angle, and tossing in the actually peripherally interesting energy-created-by-the-body angle? Geez. It's almost insulting. Like dragging in the whole Chinese magician angle.

    And you know what? For his hand in killing Jackman's wife, Bale should die -- apparently two times.

    Not to keep at this, but I will, because this is some really third-rate written cruft with no seeming understanding of the way the real world actually works. I just have to ask what on earth is the reason for motivating Michael Caine's character to support the undoing and death of Jackman? It's ridiculous. He's not that kind of person as this tale unfolds. Unless you would actually suggest so great an actor is not acting well? Come on. Caine's a consummate pro for sure, and helping to kill Jackman isn't anyway near the trajectory of his character here. Now if you want to see a very, very well-written movie involving Caine and magic, you should really spend your time watching Is Anybody There?

    Still, I give this one big star for the director, and one huge star for all the actors working to give the whole group superior energy. Another star for the beauty of the film's look. So that's three stars? Yes, that's right. And I mean that is incredibly generous for such shoddy writing. If you have two hours, watch The Usual Suspects. That is some breathtakingly beautiful manipulation of the audience with a very satisfying payoff.
  • SirPant
    September 25, 2009
    SirPant
    An impressive film about obsession. The acting and story are good but I have to say at first I was upset with the twist at the end but I realised that with a lot of great magic, the answer is very simple, so I got over it. I still have an issue with the 'Invention' as it goes fro...( read more)m illusion to downright silly but its forgivable as it was still entertaining. David Bowie was a nice surprise too!
  • RCCLBC
    August 31, 2009
    RCCLBC
    A very good film for the most part, though I can't help but feel that it wasn't quite as fluid and pulled together as it could have been.

    The story (a simple tale of love, envy and revenge) holds no BIG surprises, but is so beuatifully shot and well acted that it's easy to loo...( read more)k past those short comings. It almost feels like a big budget, fleshed out, Twilight Zone or Tales From The Crypt.

    Jackman, Caine and Bale were brilliant. I was least impressed by Johansson. Quite frankly I've always been a little puzzled by all the hoop-la over her, both as a "beauty" and as an "actress" and this film did nothing to solidify those points. While her features are well suited to an old timey, stage beauty...her acting is once again mediocre at best.
  • ldsangel2000
    February 9, 2010
    ldsangel2000
    I'll NEVER get tired of this movie!
  • The13xxx
    February 8, 2010
    The13xxx
    I saw this movie when it first came out, but i can't vividly remembered. So with great expectation i rewatched it again, and man oh man! This movie is just great, beyond imagination i would say. Christoper Nolan's master piece makes me think harder than any other movie.

    Revolves...( read more) around two magicians who turns out to be rival, it's a movie that studies human obsessions, greed, lust, hunger to obtain something. Twist after twist just makes your brain tickle!

    Why Hugh Jackman wasn't nominated for at least Golden Globes? Why? He was just brilliant here. I loved Bale too, great duo they make. Scarlett Johansson got a saucy role's and she played it well, same goes to the entertaining David Bowie and Andy Serkis (Gollum?)

    Officer: Do you have anything to say?
    Alfred Borden: Abracadabra.
    9/10.
  • mirabella1996
    February 8, 2010
    mirabella1996
    This was FANTASTIC!!
    I saw it late last year & wrote a R/V. Am not sure why it isn't on site here.
    Will update.
  • SupErSwaNkNerD
    February 7, 2010
    SupErSwaNkNerD
    An enjoyable movie with good actors and nice twists
  • Gaabby
    February 6, 2010
    Gaabby
    Really really good. although not what I expected.

View All The Prestige Reviews

Critic Reviews

October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

The film is never less than engaging, though considering that the title The Prestige refers to the moment in a magic act that gives it its "wow" factor, it's kind of a shame that the ultimate "reveal"... full review

September 7, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's quite a movie -- atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic. full review

November 6, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

This dazzling film and first-rate thriller holds you spellbound and doesn't let go. full review

October 21, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The Prestige is a trick box with too many false bottoms. full review

October 20, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

The Prestige is wonderfully engrossing, darkly mysterious and entertaining from start to finish. full review

October 20, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

An assured bonbon of a film that's thoroughly and deliciously entertaining. full review

October 20, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

There are nifty tricks galore up the sumptuous sleeve of this offbeat and wildly entertaining thriller. full review

October 20, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The tit-for-tat scenario ought to be wildly entertaining, but the magic is crude, the characters flyweight, and the story protracted and unpleasant. full review

October 19, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Entertaining, spirited and shamelessly gimmicky, Christopher Nolan's film tells the intricate tale of two rival magicians practicing their art in late-Victorian London.

October 19, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

A twisty, tense chiller. full review

View more The Prestige reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • fazelix
    January 15, 2008
    fazelix
    is the best film in 2006
  • terris85017
    January 1, 2008
    terris85017
    Flixster - Share Movies
    (2006 Director: Christopher Nolan!) Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansen, Chrisian Bale, Michael Caine AND DAVID BOWIE!! WHAT A CAST!! I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE! My son says it is dumb! LOL but..I hope for a bit more than The Illusionist (no offense to the wonderful cast of that movie) Watched his movie today (New Year's) in parts. It seemed kind of long but enjoyed it. I thought it was rather oriiginal. I liked the historical aspect & the setting oin likely what the late 1800"s (there was electriicity invented obviously)
    Flixster - Share Movies
    Michael Caine is a fascinating actor...Christian Bale also-someone I would love to meet & chat with! Great cast! WATCHING IT TODAY!
    Flixster - Share Movies
  • BLU3CH1CK
    December 17, 2007
    BLU3CH1CK
    AR3 Y0U WATCH1NG CL05L3Y?

    MUHAHAHAHAHA!!! LUV TH15 M0V13!
  • gordo214
    December 16, 2007
    gordo214
    seen this one, but don't remember when...
  • haxc100
    December 12, 2007
    haxc100
    i especially liked carter's last words, "i lied, he said it was agony" like kicking anton in the nuts
  • sam40001
    November 24, 2007
    sam40001
    hi,
    on of the best movie that i see,wonderful
  • phil24319
    August 5, 2007
    phil24319
    A great movie; a must see....JMO...
  • thevoz1
    August 4, 2007
    thevoz1
    I donno. I enjoyed it, but the last 45 minutes to an hour of the movie was far too predictable. However, it was still enjoyable. I saw it in theaters, and i recommend watching it on the biggest tv you can find.
  • RandomCrazyEmoGuy
    July 26, 2007
    RandomCrazyEmoGuy
    awsumm film!!!
  • diamondwolverin
    July 24, 2007
    diamondwolverin
    this is one of the best movies i have ever seen and the ending is one of the best eva!
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The Prestige Trivia

  • In what movie are these words used: The Pledge, the turn and the prestige?  Answer »
  • Robert and Alfred are rival magicians. When Alfred performs the ultimate magic trick, Robert tries desperately to find out the secret to the trick. Which movie is the above describing?  Answer »
  • In the movie the Prestige, what were the three parts to a magic trick?  Answer »
  • Name the movie that the following actors starred in: Christian Bale Hugh Jackman Michael Caine Piper Perabo Scarlett Johansson Andy Serkis David Bowie  Answer »
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