For those who are unfamiliar with what the film is about, let me do this as un-spoiler-ish as possible; because I firmly believe that spoiling this movie would be like disrobing at your own wedding and admitting to your new bride that you slept with her sister the night before. Jackman and Christian Bale (quickly becoming one of this generation's most distinguished actors) play Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, two rival - though at one time friendly - magicians. Each is dedicated to the craft of illusion. Angier displays a more showsman-like attitude. He grabs the audiences attention. Borden is a craftsman, always honing his techinique and developing new tricks to decieve the audience. After a fatal accident invloving both men, they become adament at defeating one another, both emotionally and professionally. I truly think that's where I'll leave off, because that's all you truly need to know at this point. The film is based on a novel by Christopher Priest; although I've read the book and knew of the twists to come, I was still thoroughly entranced in Nolan's vision. Even as I type this I'm conversing with a friend on different elements we gathered from the clues given in the film; it'll be most worth revisiting.

Like The Departed, there are many aspects to the stories structure and screenplay that are ambiguous. Some things won't be explained in full. The exposition is - for the most part - visual and the film's disjointed narrative may lose a few who lack attention. But I promise, if you watch closely, you will be greatly rewarded with a smart and entertaining film experience.

At the end, keep in mind Cutter's opening narration:
"Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called 'The Pledge'; The magician shows you something ordinary, but of course . . . it probably isn't. The second act is called 'The Turn'; The magician makes his ordinary some thing do something extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret . . . you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, 'The Prestige'; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before."

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Originally posted by Widescreen:
Well made, good performances. Depressing Story.

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I have to agree.

I also found the "twists" rather easy to predict for the most part. The ending wasn't such a big shock and it was hard to find any character to support except for perhaps Michael Caine's.

Scarlett Johanssen's character just sort of disappears and not in a magical intentional sort of way.

What was with that Thom York song in the end credits?

Don't get me wrong, I liked the film but it didn't grab me the way I wanted it to from the first trailer we saw a couple months back.

The fact that no character was easily rooted for makes it a very tragic and in many ways, an independent film dressed in a Hollywood budget. For one, the tragic hero eventually becomes so steeped in obsession and misjudgement that he commits horrible acts of self-sacrifice just to defeat his adversary. He eventually loses the reason of his original vengeance and goes about things to better his own life. On the other, the usual villian becomes sympathetic and undoubtedly mysterious. No character redeems their actions; and they don't have to for this to be a good story. After all, it's a tragedy. Very few characters in Shakespeare's works redeemed themselves after obsession and rivalry destroyed their lives.

I'm searching for the lyrics to the Thom York song; they might have a connection to the themes in the movies. A bit like the Bowie song at the end of Memento.

NP> Trevor Jones' From Hell (*****/*****)

I love that I could muse on its themes and the many ways the brilliant script bears those out for a while.

And I love that my girlfriend and I, along with seven others, were still sitting in the cinema trying to collect our senses, after the end credits had finished. That hasn't happened to me ever.

PS. Thom Yorke's 'Analyse' is very relevant to the film. "You played a part... you played a part... " Very haunting piece of music to reflect on the whole film with.

The music is somewhat of a downer on album, hardly anything really jumps out on disc, it does, however, lend a great deal of help to the film. Hans Zimmer would have done a better job in continuing to collaborate more directly with Nolan, by actually writing the score to Prestige, rather than sitting this one out (Zimmer and Christopher Nolan are listed as the Executive Producers of the score; and HZ is thanked by Julyan in the liner notes).

The music hit some great beats in the opening sequence; the journey to Colorado Springs; and in the finale "prestige" scene. One part that should have been taken musical advantage of by David Julyan (and wasn't!) was definitely the "dirty hands" magician sort-of-training montage where Jaws The Revenge teaches Swordfish a new trick with a bird in a cage at their fancy new flat. Overall, I'm impressed by the way the music interacts with the picture, but on album there is something more to be desired. I agree with nuts that HZ's Da Vinci Code would have suited The Prestige very nicely, especially the first track, the album stunner "Poisoned Chalice," and the final heroic "knight's" theme. Them's the breaks!

Bravo! Now, Chris Nolan and his brother have to stop screwing around and tackle The Dark Knight!!!

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Originally posted by sean:
I agree with nuts that HZ's Da Vinci Code would have suited The Prestige very nicely, especially the first track, the album stunner "Poisoned Chalice," and the final heroic "knight's" theme. Them's the breaks!

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I think it would have lost its chilling feeling if something as pompous as DAVINCI CODE had been used. That's music that tells you what you're watching is the most important thing that has ever happened to mankind. It might have suited DAVINCI CODE, but this needed music more suited to a battle of wits. Something like 'The Negotiation' from Desplat's HOSTAGE score, perhaps? (Actually, would have loved to hear what Desplat would have done overall for this - though maybe his stuff would have been over-the-top.)

It's a hard call. Julyan's first and final cues work very well...

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
Something like 'The Negotiation' from Desplat's HOSTAGE score, perhaps? (Actually, would have loved to hear what Desplat would have done overall for this - though maybe his stuff would have been over-the-top.)

It's a hard call. Julyan's first and final cues work very well...

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But, The Prestige is the most important thing of all time right this second. Don't get me wrong, Julyan's music is perfect in the film (save for the "dirty hands" scene I mentioned above); I really do enjoy the "Colorado Springs" track and the opening and closing pieces, as you mention franz, are impressive.

Desplat? He's French.

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Originally posted by sean:
But, The Prestige is the most important thing of all time right this second.

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It is indeed a great film. Glad to finally have a heavily-plotted film with a good resolution on my best of the year list - my list was looking a bit arty-farty!

Sean - you still haven't sent me your list!

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
It is indeed a great film. Glad to finally have a heavily-plotted film with a good resolution on my best of the year list - my list was looking a bit arty-farty!

Sean - you still haven't sent me your list!

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I'll get you that list this week. It's impressive like The Prestife hahaha! One of my favourite elements of that film was Wally Pfister's photography! WOW!

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Originally posted by sean:

The music is somewhat of a downer on album, hardly anything really jumps out on disc, it does, however, lend a great deal of help to the film. Hans Zimmer would have done a better job in continuing to collaborate more directly with Nolan, by actually writing the score to Prestige, rather than sitting this one out (Zimmer and Christopher Nolan are listed as the Executive Producers of the score; and HZ is thanked by Julyan in the liner notes).

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Remember Sean, I made those comments before seeing the film (and they were based on how I recieved the images from the novel). After seeing the film and owning Julyan's score, I don't think any other composer could've pulled off the sense of mystery and ambience that Julyan recieved. Zimmer's credit is noticable, as many of the string sections are very intense and brooding. I can't wait to start my end of the year "Top 20" list and give my final word on The Prestige and Julyan's similar The Descent; as well as many others. It's been a great film score to me, one of the best in the new millenium. We've had a wonderful James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Superman, and X-Men score this year as well as a slew of other amazing projects.

Also, Desplat - as much as I appreciate his work - wouldn't make The Prestige as a score. His style is too blunt for something along the lines that Julyan has created. You're right about his "over the top" style, Franz. It's not well suited for something along the steampunk roots of The Prestige.

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Originally posted by nuts_score:
It's been a great film score to me, one of the best in the new millenium. We've had a wonderful James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Superman, and X-Men score this year as well as a slew of other amazing projects.

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HAHA! Well, you can forgive me for taking that statement light-heartedly. Because I know you outside of the board, I know what I read there will look rather insane or rabid in about a week or so. (I seem to remember this time last year that "Memoirs Of A Geisha is the best John Williams score in a century!"... LMAO and, of course, before that it was War Of The Worlds and Revenge Of The Sith and then somehow Munich trounced all of those.)

I won't comment on Casino Royale, because I haven't heard the score and haven't seen the film.

But, M:I-III!!??!! X3!!??!! You're telling me those are equal the best of this year? No frakkin' way, buddy. Even Ottman's Superman Returns isn't that good, and I kinda' like that score. If we're talking score, those are some weak musical statements. If we're talking films, it's even worse... except for Superman Returns. Buddy, none of those even have an action scene that comes at all close to being as good as (or even touching) "The Big Jump" sequence from this fall's Battlestar Galactica episode, Exodus Part 2. Not even close! (No movie in recent years has such an intense action sequence.) And score-talkin', Bear McCreary robbed all the Hollywood heavy hitters with his tremendous action writing for that pile-driver.

And nuts, I think you under-estimate Desplat. He's not all hyper-exaggerated contrapuntal etc etc... The suspense sections of SYRIANA, as well as his scores for DE BATTRE MON COUER S'EST ARRETE and LES CORPS IMPATIENTS show he can work on the subliminal level Julyan did for THE PRESTIGE. I feel he might have made the occasional melodic release a bit more substantial without drawing attention to himself.

I'll ask you this:

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
Yay! Demetris is here!

See the film Demetris. It's a cold brilliant twisty beauty.

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........so?

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Originally posted by Demetris Christodoulides:
nuts_score:

........so?

[Message edited by Demetris Christodoulides on 11-22-2006]

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Peter, are you kidding me? I had about two or three paragraphs of statements to both Demetris and Sean. Is there a problem with the server?

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Originally posted by nuts_score:
Peter, are you kidding me? I had about two or three paragraphs of statements to both Demetris and Sean. Is there a problem with the server?

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Yeah, this either happened to me too, or Peter just doesn't like it when I harass Ryan about going to see Happy Feet over Casino Royale and deleted my all-too-small post.