One of three big studio movies from 2006 that explore the workings of illusion and death, The Prestige (HBO; tonight at 9pm) is a dark thriller that plays with the nerves of its viewers. Lacking the Hollywood happy ending that marks Neil Burger's The Illusionist as a crowd-pleaser or the comedic spluttering of Woody Allen's Scoop, the fifth feature film of director Chris Nolan is fuelled by themes of obsession, duality and fatal rivalry.
Shot in a style reminiscent of Nolan's breakout work, Memento (2000), The Prestige begins at the chronological end of the narrative then flits between two episodes in the past to weave a fascinating tale of a pair of magicians locked in a battle of one-upmanship, with devastating consequences for themselves and those closest to them.
Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman; above left) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale; above right) are ambitious apprentice magicians. An unfortunate accident on stage ignites a deep hatred in Angier for Borden, whose erratic behaviour only exacerbates the animosity. As the enemies improve as performers, each endeavours to steal the other's trade secrets and sabotage their reputation.
After Angier draws the first blood, Borden, in retaliation, sends him on a fool's errand for the key to a new illusion. It's in the cold mountains of Colorado that Angier meets Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla (played by the otherworldly David Bowie) and it's there that he finally abandons the last of his humanity and trades in 'honest' magic for scientific wizardry. Against Tesla's better judgment, Angier returns to London, armed with a terrible, phenomenal weapon and the feud escalates beyond control.
Angier's faithful technician, Cutter (an ever-erudite Michael Caine), quits in disgust and Borden is in danger of losing his daughter, Jess (Samantha Mahurin), too. Rebecca Hall as Borden's wife, Scarlett Johansson as Angier's assistant and a leering Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) as Tesla's assistant round out the impressive cast list.
The visual mastery of the film culminates in chilling devastation; the viewer is left feeling a sudden sadness, like that experienced at the end of a magic show - when you know, beyond doubt, the magician has no more tricks up his sleeve.