![]() ![]() And “The Prestige” - the title is a magician’s term of art referring to the climactic surprise that seals a successful trick - manifests an enthusiasm for the nuts and bolts of illusionism that is pretty much irresistible. The point of a magic trick, after all, is not the content, whatever that might be, but the ingenuity of its conceit and the skill of its execution. Like “Memento,” also directed by Christopher Nolan and based on a story by his brother, “The Prestige” is a triumph of gimmickry, a movie generous enough with its showmanship and sleight of hand to quiet the temptation to grumble about its lack of substance. Set in a stylized late-Victorian world of dueling music-hall magicians and diabolically clever inventors, it has a satisfyingly puzzlelike structure, zipping around in time and scattering clues throughout its busy scenes and frames. ![]() Stuffed with hard-working actors, sleek effects and stagy period details, “The Prestige,” directed by Christopher Nolan from a script he wrote with his brother Jonathan, is an intricate and elaborate machine designed for the simple purpose of diversion. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |