The Prestige

I found this altogether more magical than The Illusionist, which forms a ready-made comparison, almost as much as the two duelling Capote films. Christopher Nolan is much more self-conscious about the parallel between magic and cinema -- less magic on film and more film magic -- and leaves a greater residue of wonder and mystery, even if he is over-reliant on the disorienting time-shifts that have been his trademark since Memento. The film is sometimes a choppy and puzzling construction, but overall the sense of period, place, and character is strong. With Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as cut-throat rivals in the world of Victorian magic, deception, and showmanship -- supported by the likes of Michael Caine, David Bowie, and Scarlett Johansson -- the acting is good across the board, and across the boards of theatrical London around 1900. Amid all the other uncanniness, it’s odd that The Prestige winds up with almost the same Metacritic score as The Illusionist, averaged over a similar spread of opinion. It seems you like one or the other but not both, depending on your predilection for fairy tale or science fiction. And my preference for The Prestige was bumped up when I listened to a spoiler link on Slate, that revealed a plot point I frankly had missed, which makes the film darker still, and even more of a wonder. (2006, dvd, n.) *7-* (MC-66.)