Christopher Nolan, one of Hollywood's current greats, brought along Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, and David Bowie to bring us into a world of magicians. Nolan really did a solid job in making this film. Everything looks good, each frame is shot with a special awareness and the sets are great. The cast performs every line and scene exactly the way it should have been. As good as the cast and Nolan's eye may be, there are still flaws to be found. The story really feels like its doing more than it is, in a world of mystery and magic, there weren't many moments of great surprise. In this film, with so much emphasis on a concept that believes nothing is as it seems, pretty much is the opposite. Every single thing in the film was exactly as it seemed, and I would have preferred the director rip off the cover to what was really underneath, which he may have done... but it wasn't a surprise. Feels like when my wife cooks dinner, smells good, smells like spaghetti, and the longer it takes her to bring it to me, the hungrier I get. When it finally arrives, it arrives in a microwavable paper tray in which was pulled from the freezer. I just wish I knew before the anticipation of something great that all I was going to get was something less.
Now, having attempted to rip the story in half with some displeasure, the film carries itself to the end just fine. The ending leaves us with some good thoughts as well, but in too simple a way. It seems hard now to convince someone I enjoyed the movie, I did, very much, but the film left a void in which greater films don't leave. When a void is left, it better leave only a question.
Without a doubt, everyone should be entertained by the film, just not overly wowed. Still, Nolan presented many things in the film in which forced interest out of things that probably wouldn't have been so. Not Nolan's finest, but he is working up, up, and up.
"The Prestige"
7 / 10
