The Prestige - Christopher Nolan

What a brilliant film. Christopher Nolan's 2006 film The Prestige, written by him and his brother based on the novel by Christopher Priest, is a fantastic story about two magicians who end up being bitter rivals.  It stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as the two magicians, who are also under the tutelage and guidance of Michael Caine, while both having an interest in Scarlett Johansson. As a bonus, we get David Bowie playing Nikola Tesla. Wait a minute I hear you saying - Tesla? What has he got to do with magic and tricks? Well, watch the film and find out. 

There are a lot of brilliant moments of storytelling in this film, as well as some misdirection as in all magic tricks. One interesting point about how the film is set up is that it starts with Caine's character telling the audience that a magic trick is made up of three components - the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. The pledge is simply showing something ordinary, the turn is making it do the impossible, while the prestige is that final act, the reveal. So simply, seeing a bird in a cage, making it disappear by smashing the cage flat, and making it reappear. This film follows that format in ways, and the reveal, the prestige is shocking and amazing - and yes, it makes you want to watch the whole thing again now that you know what you know.