Film: The Prestige

There are three people who watch magic: those that want to be told how the trick is done, those that want to figure it out on their own and finally those that don't actually care either way. So it's quite ironic that The Prestige, a film about the rivalry between two stage magicians, caters for all three audiences.

Twisting and turning for most of the two or so hours, the hardest thing about watching this film is keeping track of which time it is flashing back to. I counted three separate spans (but I may have missed a fourth) and it was confusing at first as the later ones referenced things that may not have happened yet. But as you get your head around this (and begin to recognise the visual cues indicating the current span) you also appreciate why the story is presented in this way. I can imagine a DVD on screen bonus marking which period the current scene is in.

The acting has little to complain about, and the production as a whole makes you wonder why other films find it so hard to do. But for me, the real genius in this film was how it was accessible by all - if you didn't pick up on the clues and twists it takes time out toward the end to spell it out for you. And unlike other films figuring out the twists doesn't actually spoil the film. Quite the opposite, actually.

So yeh. Good stuff. Go watch. And if it does manage to confuse you then you'll always have the DVD to finally figure it out with.