The Prestige

The Prestige Even though I'm not a fan of movies set in old England, and magic has never really been my thing, this movie somehow managed to completely fascinate me. I'm really glad I didn't let the aesthetic fool me. Christian Bale has this insane ability to make you not only believe every character he plays, but to pay attention to every little move he's about to make. Even when he's completely still, it feels like he's already planning his next move. Brilliant. Everything I thought the ending was building toward turned out to be much smaller than what it actually had in store. What really stuck with me was Olivia's line: "You go to him. You two deserve each other." That was the moment it clicked. This whole thing was never about magic. These two men were obsessing over each other the entire time. The tricks were just the language they spoke. Robert didn't want to become the greatest magician he wanted to prove he was better than the only man whose opinion mattered to him. It reminded me so much of Challengers. The temper, the greed, the obsession. In both movies, it was never really about tennis or magic. It was about wanting to be seen by someone you admire enough that you'd sacrifice everything just to hear them admit, you got it right. You're capable. Then came the final reveal. Learning that Borden had shared one identity with his twin his entire life was both relieving and heartbreaking. The impossible finally made sense, but the trick lost its magic the moment I realized it wasn't really a trick at all it was an entire life built around sacrifice. They didn't perform the illusion. They lived inside it. Such a phenomenal movie. It's probably one of those films I would've never picked myself Although... This one definitely left me with even more trust issues than I already had.