Tag Archives: hugh-jackman

The pledge, the turn, and “The Prestige”

'The Prestige' poster I watched “The Prestige” last night and, believe me — it’s one helluva movie. I can’t remember the last time I was so, what’s the word… Moved and inspired? Yeah, that’s it — moved and inspired by a movie. Maybe after I watched “Donnie Darko” or “Se7en“. “Inside man” with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen was awesome too, but nothing like this. I remember saying something in lines of (add 80’s space echo) “I feel like this movie has changed my life forever” to my girlfriend when we walked out of the theater.

In short, it’s a movie about two rivaling magicians (illusionists, people who do magic tricks — not magicians as in wizards, sorcerers and warlocks, as I thought at first, eh) and the ultimate magic trick, with the plot set at the very end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in London and Colorado.

Both Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are excellent as main characters, Michael Caine is as splendid as ever, and mr. David Bowie as Nikola Tesla… Oh my, I don’t think anyone else would fill those shoes as properly as he did. Marvelous. Also, Christopher Nolan (of “Memento” and “Batman begins” fame) is a great director, but that almost goes without saying. He and his brother Jonathan wrote the screenplay based on the book by Christopher Priest (here’s an interesting ‘Prestige’-related Q&A on his own website).

If you haven’t already, please go watch this masterpiece.