Prestigious

So I am sick. It is one of the things that I hate most in the world, and something that tends to happen to me often. But, I decided that since I am relegated to the bed, I might as well take this opportunity to write a blogpost. There was one that I had in mind since this weekend, and it is another movie review. But don't worry, it's a goodie this time.

I am a big fan of Hugh Jackman, but for the most part it's just because he is very nice to look at. Sure, he was fun as Wolverine in the X-men trilogy; sure he can play the romantic lead in movies like Kate and Leopold and Someone Like You. But I do not really know him for his serious roles. I somehow missed out of Australia and The Fountain. But one of his serious movies that I did not miss out on was The Prestige.

The Prestige did not do very well at the box office. In fact, I am not sure that it came out on the circuit at all, and though I had heard of it purely because it starred Hugh Jackman, it wasn't until it came out on DSTV that I actually got to see it. I remember that at the time it was being compared to another movie, The Illusionist starring Edward Norton, that had come out at the same time and had also been buried. I saw The Illusionist first, and seem to recall quite enjoying it, but my impression of that movie has been blown away by my memories of The Prestige.

I quite enjoyed The Prestige the first time I watched it. Enough so to recommend it to Grant when he came to visit me in Korea and we turned on the TV to find it playing one night. I loved it the second time I watched it. Enough to not object to watching it a third time this weekend when some friends came over for a movie night. I think this is the kind of movie that I cannot get enough of - I could just keep watching it over and over again and learn something new every time,

I will try not to give away too much of the storyline (it is quite an intricate one), but I do want to give you a hint as to what the movie is about. The title, The Prestige, comes from the theory expressed in the beginning of the movie that there are three stages to every trick: the pledge, where you are shown a normal object like a bird in a cage; the turn, where you make the bird disappear; and the prestige, which is the best part of the trick - making it come back. The movie follows two main characters: Robert Angier, also known as "The Great D'Anton" and Alfred "Freddie" Bordon. The two start off working together as stage hands during magic shows along with Angier's wife who is the magician's apprentice or assistant. There is an accident and Angier's wife dies. Angier blame Bordon, who cannot remember if the accident was his fault or not, and a dangerous rivalry develops between the two of them as they each try to undercut and hurt the other.

I am not really going to go any deeper into it than that, as I woudn't want to ruin the numerous twists that occur throughout the movie, but I would highly, HIGHLY recommend watching it, It is definitely one of my favourite of this kind of semi-thriller genre.