The Prestige

"The Prestige," Nolan's earliest historical picture, investigates the essence of creativity and the enthusiasm that surrounds modern technology via the rivalry of 2 magicians, Robert Angier (by Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (by Christian Bale). Their duel of wits gives the nineteenth century a delightfully current vibe. Of course, the true magician here is Nolan, who employs narrative deception and a deft framing technique — the picture begins with Michael Caine describing how magicians do their tricks — to convey information and skirt certain plot holes.

"The Prestige" has aspects of science fiction, but they are presented gradually, and David Bowie's appearance as Nikola Tesla is among the greatest cameos in modern years.

However, when Nolan purposely withholds facts to protect his major surprises, the cross-cutting between timeframes and conflicting views becomes tiresome. Bale and Jackman maintain the story's intrigue, but the complicated narrative twists make it difficult to engage entirely in either character. While richly built, "The Prestige” lacks Nolan's finest work's emotional core.

Year of Release: 2006

Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman

IMDB: 8.5