The Prestige - Directed by Christopher Nolan
Rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images.

From the director of Batman Begins and the cult-favorite Memento comes this intriguing tale of two rivaling magicians. Borrowing its title from the third act of any good magic trick, The Prestige is a twisted amalgamation of late 19th century society and science fiction that, despite being all over the place in terms of genre, manages to be more successful than it probably should be.

Staring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Michael Caine (among a star-studded cast that includes, of all people, David Bowie), The Prestige follows the rivalry between two competing magicians in London. Their obsession to outdo one another drives them to the edge of sanity. With an exceptionally fleshed out story that comes to a satisfyingly twisted ending, it is likely to be one of the more brain-intensive movies you're likely to see this year. But I mean that in the most flattering of ways.

I'm a rabid Christian Bale fan, so I won't comment any more on his performance other than to say that it was superb. Likewise, Michael Caine is indeed the man. Though I was also entertained by Hugh Jackman, an actor I usually consider overrated.

I feel that where The Prestige falters most evidently is in scope of the story. To me, it felt like it was trying to be too many things at once. Some may call this literary depth, but it felt to me like they were trying to find yet another place to put cheese in a pizza. At times it was a character drama, at others it was a mystery, yet towards the end, it turned into a full-on sci-fi. A pizza is good with cheese, but as soon as I start finding it in the crust, it starts to be too much.

Bottom line, if you've seen Christopher Nolan's previous popular works, the above mentioned Batman Begins and Memento, I can guarantee you'll enjoy The Prestige. The best way I can describe it is a story akin to Memento, but presented with the flair and polish of Batman Begins. Suffice to say, you should see it.

Rating: 4.5 / 5