The Prestige (2006)

Note Générale:

8,4/10   

Réalisateur:

Christopher Nolan

Scénaristes (WGA):

Jonathan Nolan (screenplay) and
Christopher Nolan (screenplay) ...
(suite)

Date de sortie:

20 octobre 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drame | Mystère | Science-Fiction | Thriller

Accroche:

A Friendship That Became a Rivalry.

Intrigue:

The rivalry between two magicians is exacerbated when one of them performs the ultimate illusion.

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Death | Magic | Courtroom | Uncertainty Principle

Récompenses:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

A Stylish, Uniquely Twisted Period Piece

Ensemble

Hugh Jackman	...	Robert Angier
Christian Bale	...	Alfred Borden
Michael Caine	...	Cutter
Piper Perabo	...	Julia McCullough
Rebecca Hall	...	Sarah
Scarlett Johansson	...	Olivia Wenscombe
Samantha Mahurin	...	Jess
David Bowie	...	Tesla
Andy Serkis	...	Alley
Daniel Davis	...	Judge
Jim Piddock	...	Prosecutor
Christopher Neame	...	Defender
Mark Ryan	...	Captain
Roger Rees	...	Owens
Jamie Harris	...	Sullen Warder
Monty Stuart	...	Stagecoach Driver
Ron Perkins	...	Hotel Manager
Ricky Jay	...	Milton
J. Paul Moore	...	Virgil
Anthony De Marco	...	Boy (as Anthony DeMarco)
Chao Li Chi	...	Chung Ling Soo (as Chao-Li Chi)
Gregory Humphreys	...	Policeman
John B. Crye	...	Voice
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Merrit (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
Sean Howse	...	Man
Julie Sanford	...	Elegant Lady
Ezra Buzzington	...	Ticket Hawker
James Lancaster	...	Moderator
Olivia Merg	...	Jess - Toddler
Zoe Merg	...	Jess - Toddler
Johnny Liska	...	Scalper
Russ Fega	...	Man in Hotel
Kevin Will	...	Man in Hotel
Edward Hibbert	...	Ackerman
Christopher Judges	...	Burly Stagehand
James Otis	...	Blind Stagehand 1
Sam Menning	...	Blind Stagehand 2
Brian Tahash	...	Blind Stagehand 3
Scott Davis	...	Carriage Driver
Jodi Bianca Wise	...	Glamorous Assistant
Nikki Glick	...	Housekeeper
Enn Reitel	...	Workman 1
Clive Kennedy	...	Warder
Rob Arbogast	...	Leonard (as Robert Arbogast)
Chris Cleveland	...	Will
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Erin Cipolletti	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Basil McCurry	...	Bored Audience Member (uncredited)
Tim Pilleri	...	Piano Player 1 (uncredited)
Wendy Rosoff	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Inna Swann	...	Handkerchief Lady (uncredited)
Deanna Lynn Walsh	...	Woman on Carriage Bus (uncredited)

Réalisé par
Christopher Nolan

Scénaristes (WGA)
Jonathan Nolan		(screenplay) and
Christopher Nolan		(screenplay)
Christopher Priest		(novel)

Produit par
Christopher Ball	....	executive producer (as Chris J. Ball)
Valerie Dean	....	executive producer
Jordan Goldberg	....	associate producer
Christopher Nolan	....	produced by
Aaron Ryder	....	produced by
Charles J.D. Schlissel	....	executive producer
Emma Thomas	....	produced by
William Tyrer	....	executive producer

Musique originale
David Julyan		(music by)

Image
Wally Pfister		(director of photography)

Montage
Lee Smith		(edited by)

Distribution des rôles
John Papsidera

Création des décors
Nathan Crowley

Direction artistique
Kevin Kavanaugh

Décorateur de plateau
Julie Ochipinti

Création des costumes
Joan Bergin

Maquillage
Janice Alexander	....	department head hair
Karen Asano-Myers	....	hairstylist (as Karen Myers)
Terry Baliel	....	hairstylist
John R. Bayless	....	key make-up artist
Leo Corey Castellano	....	prosthetic make-up
Maggie Fung	....	make-up artist
Kenny Myers	....	make-up artist: Mr. Jackman
Peter Robb-King	....	department head make-up
Heba Thorisdottir	....	make-up artist: Ms. Johansson
Victoria Wood	....	wigs by
Roxane Griffin	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Aimee Macabeo	....	special effects hair: Optic Nerve Studio (uncredited)
Nicole Michaud	....	hair ventilation: Cine-Makeup Inc. (uncredited)
Nicole Michaud	....	special effects hair: Optic Nerve (uncredited)
Margarita Pidgeon	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Bob Smithson	....	contact lens technician (uncredited)
Greg Solomon	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Kimberley Spiteri	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Fiona Stiles	....	makeup artist: David Bowie (uncredited)

Directeur de production
Teresa Kelly	....	post production supervisor
Nancy Kirhoffer	....	post production supervisor
Cristen Carr Strubbe	....	unit production manager
Mark Scoon	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Assistant réalisateur
Alan B. Curtiss	....	first assistant director
Jody Spilkoman	....	second assistant director
Cy Roscoe Strickland	....	additional second assistant director
Lynn Struiksma	....	second second assistant director

Département Art
Scott Buckwald	....	property master
Erin Cipolletti	....	art department production assistant
Scott Doran	....	leadman (as R. Scott Duran)
Jared Fleury	....	assistant property master
Capella Kincheloe	....	art department production assistant
Jeanne Kukor	....	assistant property master (as Jeanne Marie Kukor)
Mark Lucero	....	set designer
Naaman Marshall	....	assistant art director
Joe Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator
Ledia Telo	....	construction estimator
Sally Thornton	....	set designer
Scott Zuber	....	set designer
Jory Alvarado	....	drapery foreman (uncredited)
Jason Bartolone	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Tonya Brewer Hunt	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Emily Crupper	....	set decoration buyer (uncredited)
J.P. Fitting	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Will Grant	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Brock Helfer	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Bill 'Kauhane' Hoyt	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
John Kelso	....	metal fabricator (uncredited)
Thomas D. Krausz	....	set dressing gang boss: Tesla (uncredited)
Scott Lafferty	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Tim R. Lafferty	....	construction gangboss (uncredited)
Amy Lamendola	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Phillis Lehmer	....	graphic designer (uncredited)
Marc Meisels	....	set dressing gang boss (uncredited)
Paul Pastorelli	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Chris Patterson	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Mike Peritz	....	set dresser (uncredited)
James Pollack	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Jamie Rama	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Mark Richardson	....	props (uncredited)
Bret Ross	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Bennet Silver	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)
Toby Swinehart	....	paint gangboss (uncredited)
Robert H. Winn	....	paint foreman (uncredited)

Technicien du son
Jessy Bender	....	utility sound
Paul Berolzheimer	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Bock	....	first assistant sound editor
Rick Canelli	....	adr recordist
Christopher Flick	....	foley supervisor
Linda Folk	....	adr supervisor
Eric Gotthelf	....	adr mixer
Kimberly Harris	....	adr editor
Lora Hirschberg	....	re-recording mixer
Richard King	....	sound designer
Richard King	....	supervising sound editor
Jonathan Klein	....	foley editor
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer (as Maryjo Lang)
Michael W. Mitchell	....	sound effects editor
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist (as Alyson Moore)
Scott Morgan	....	foley recordist
Ed Novick	....	sound mixer
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer (as Tom O'Connell)
Kurt Peterson	....	boom operator
Gary Rizzo	....	re-recording mixer (as Gary A. Rizzo)
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Christopher Sidor	....	recordist (as Chris Sidor)
Carolyn Tapp	....	adr recordist
Hugo Weng	....	dialogue editor
Linda Yeaney	....	first assistant sound editor
Kevin Globerman	....	digital recordist (uncredited)
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer (uncredited)

Effets spéciaux
David Blitstein	....	special effects coordinator
William Lee	....	special effects rigging foreman (as William D. Lee)
David Simmons	....	special effects set foreman (as David L. Simmons)
Mario Vanillo	....	special effects shop foreman (as Mario Vanilo)
Kirk Barton	....	special effects craft service (uncredited)
Greg Bryant	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Lenny Dalrymple	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Ruben Garcia	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Bruce Y. Kuroyama	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Arthur G. Schlosser	....	snow effects technician (uncredited)
John Vulich	....	special effects (uncredited)
Douglas D. Ziegler	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects
Florent Andorra	....	cg sequence supervisor: BUF
Florent Cadel	....	cg artist: BUF
Giacun Caduff	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF
Stephane Ceretti	....	visual effects supervisor: BUF
Melanie Cussac	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF (as Mélanie Cussac)
Robin Deledicque	....	cg artist: BUF
Olivier Dumont	....	associate visual effects supervisor: BUF
Laurens Ehrmann	....	cg artist: BUF
Vanessa Fourgeaud	....	visual effects producer: BUF
John Lee	....	visual effects editor
Eddy Moussa	....	cg artist: BUF
Laurent Panissier	....	cg artist: BUF
Clement Rambach	....	software development: BUF
Michel Samreth	....	cg artist: BUF
Scott Shapiro	....	visual effects producer
Vanesse Simon	....	visual effects producer: BUF (as Simon Vanesse)
Janek Sirrs	....	visual effects consultant
Mathilde Tollec	....	cg artist: BUF
Olivier Dumont	....	on-set supervisor: BUF (uncredited)

Cascadeur
Joni Avery	....	stunt double: Olivia
Mike Avery	....	utility stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunt coordinator
Meegan Godfrey	....	stunt double: Julia
Steve Hart	....	stunt double: Cutter
David Hugghins	....	stunt rigger
Michael Hugghins	....	stunt rigger
Paul Lacovara	....	stunt double: Borden
Brian Machleit	....	stunt double: Angier Test
Rick Marcus	....	stunt double: Angier
Thom Williams	....	stunt warder

Caméra et Département Electrique
Hans Bjerno	....	director of photography: Colorado aerial unit
Jose Deleon	....	camera technician: SpaceCam, Colorado aerial unit (as Jose DeLeon)
François Duhamel	....	still photographer
Rod Farley	....	best boy grip (as Roderick G. Farley)
Craig Fikse	....	steadicam operator
Ray Garcia	....	key grip
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Tony Garrido)
Anthony Gaudioz	....	additional camera operator (as Tony Gaudioz)
Cory Geryak	....	chief lighting technician
Bob Hall	....	first assistant camera
Michael Herron	....	video assist operator
Peter Krouse	....	camera intern
Jerry L. Marshall	....	best boy rigging grip
Daniel C. McFadden	....	loader (as Dan McFadden)
Charlie McIntyre	....	rigging gaffer (as Charles H. McIntyre)
Blake Pike	....	rigging key grip
Philip Shanahan	....	second assistant camera
Cricket Sloat	....	rigging electric best boy
Larry Sushinski	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Stephen Vaughan	....	still photographer
Curtis A. Andrews Jr.	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Eric M. Davis	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Anthony Donati	....	rigging set lighting technician (uncredited)
Charles Ehrlinger	....	grip (uncredited)
Matt Floyd	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
David Fordham	....	grip (uncredited)
Michael Franco	....	electrician: fixtures (uncredited)
Michael Franco	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Sheila Greene	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Joe Guzman	....	grip (uncredited)
Jeffrey A. Johnson	....	grip (uncredited)
Christopher J. Lama	....	electrical rigging technician (uncredited)
Damon Liebowitz	....	electrician (uncredited)
Keith Morgan	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Dara Norman	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Jason Puliti	....	electrician (uncredited)
Cricket Sloat	....	assistant chief lighting technician (uncredited)
Mike Visencio	....	rigging set lighting technician (uncredited)
Paul Wilkowsky	....	grip (uncredited)
Brian Woronec	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Département Casting
Jennifer Cram	....	casting assistant
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Rich King	....	extras casting
Marlo Tiede	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Département Costume et garde-Robe
Anthony Almaraz	....	costumer
Shandra Beri	....	costumer
Tom Cummins	....	set costumer
Carrie Dacre	....	production assistant: costume department
Monica Haynes-Nino	....	costumer (as Monica Haynes)
Jose S. Hernandez	....	costumer (as Jose Hernandez)
Marci R. Johnson	....	costumer (as Marci Johnson)
Jo Kissack	....	costumer
April Krueger	....	costumer
Donna Marcione Pollack	....	costumer
Robert Q. Mathews	....	costume supervisor
Dennis McCarthy	....	costumer
Toni Kehaulani Reed	....	set costumer
Kenn Smiley	....	key costumer
Tricia Yoo	....	costumer
Michele Flynn	....	head costume ager/dyer (uncredited)
Christopher Koelsch	....	costumer (uncredited)
Michael Welch	....	costumer (uncredited)
Tim Wilson	....	costumer (uncredited)

Dpartement Editorial
Charles Harrison	....	post production assistant
John Lee	....	first assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Laura Rindner	....	assistant editor
Scott Wesley Ross	....	assistant editor
Mary Beth Smith	....	negative cutter: Buena Vista Negative Cutting
Donald Likovich	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Département Musique
W. Davies	....	composer: "Princess Waltz"
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Alex Gibson	....	music editor
Tom Hardisty	....	score recordist
David Hoskins	....	music programmer
Alan Meyerson	....	score recorded and mixed by
Blake Neely	....	orchestra conductor
Dana Niu	....	orchestrations
Peter Rotter	....	orchestra contractor
Andy Vale	....	composer: "Vowel Movement"
Greg Vines	....	assistant engineer (as Gregg Vines)
Matthew J. Ward	....	technical assistant (as Matt Ward)
Booker White	....	music preparation: Walt Disney Music Library
Hans Zimmer	....	executive music producer

Département Transport
Phil Helman	....	transportation local captain: Colorado (as Phillip W. Helman)
Maxwell R. Johnson II	....	transportation co-captain
Tommy Tancharoen	....	transportation coordinator
Tom Whelpey	....	transportation co-captain (as Tom Whelpley)
Ted Basso	....	production van driver operator (uncredited)
Audrey A. Conrad	....	transportation office coordinator (uncredited)
Robert Garcia Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)
Tim Whisenant	....	driver: Hugh Jackman (uncredited)
Dean Winton	....	driver (uncredited)
Bonnie Yamahiro	....	driver (uncredited)

Divers
Jess Brackenburry	....	animal wrangler: cats (as Jesse Brackenbury)
Allan Bragg	....	stand-in: Mr. Caine (as Alan Bragg)
Jeffrey Caruso	....	assistant production coordinator
Jennifer Clark	....	first assistant accountant
Clayton Cogswell	....	production assistant
Jesse Cole	....	key assistant location manager
Jareth Costello	....	accounting clerk
Kim Crabb	....	key assistant location manager
Jeanie Daniels	....	post production accountant
Scott Davis	....	animal trainer: horses
Jim Dirker	....	helicopter pilot
Colin Dunning	....	production assistant
Russ Fega	....	location manager
Beau Foster	....	production assistant
Meghan C. Fraser	....	wrangler: cats
Karen M. Fuchs	....	payroll accountant
Steve Gehrke	....	script supervisor (as Steven R. Gehrke)
Susan Hegarty	....	dialect coach: Mr. Bowie
Gregory D. Hemstreet	....	production accountant (as Greg Hemstreet)
Henry Humphreys	....	first aid
Andrew Jablonski	....	assistant accountant
Ricky Jay	....	technical advisor: magic
Nick LeClaire	....	production assistant: Colorado
Parker D. Lemire	....	production assistant: Colorado
Jim Lindsey	....	stand-in: Mr. Bale
Mike MacCuish	....	assistant accountant
Rob McCabe	....	stand-in: Mr. Jackman
Scott Michaels	....	production assistant: Colorado
Benjamin Morehead	....	assistant: Mr. Nolan (as Benjamin T. Morehead)
Guy Morrison	....	assistant location manager
M. Michelle Nishikawa	....	assistant: Mr. Schlissel
Craig Okeson	....	production assistant: Colorado
Anthony Penido	....	first aid
Katherine Pittman	....	wrangler: cats (as Cathy Pittman)
Jess Platt	....	dialect coach: Mr. Jackman
Erin A. Ramos	....	production secretary
Lawra Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Jackman
Lee Roeser	....	wrangler: cats
Joshua Scheer	....	production assistant
Peter Scheer	....	production assistant
Michelle Schrauwers	....	production assistant
Cheryl Shawver	....	animal trainer: cats
Cody Smith	....	wrangler: horses
Jimmy Smith	....	craft service
Phil Smith	....	animal trainer: horses and birds
Beatrice Springborn	....	assistant: Mr. Ryder
Cindy Taylor	....	production assistant (as Cindy A. Taylor)
Tim Territo	....	production liaison: Colorado
Amy Treadwell	....	stand-in: Ms. Johansson
Victoria Vopni	....	wrangler: horses (as Victoria M. Vopni)
Michael Weber	....	technical advisor: magic
Shawn Williamson	....	production assistant
Terrence B. Zinn	....	production assistant
Eric Binns	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Ron Bottitta	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Doug Burch	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Brian Clark	....	rigging medic (uncredited)
Brian De Esch	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Alexandra Ducocq	....	executive assistant: hugh jackman (uncredited)
Rebecca Edelson	....	script clearance administrator (uncredited)
Lily Garcia	....	additional production assistant (uncredited)
Carolyn Harris	....	production executive (uncredited)
Patrick Holland	....	additional voices (uncredited)
Nicholas Hosking	....	adr voice group (uncredited)
Robert Lamkin	....	caterer (uncredited)
Matt Lombardo	....	additional set production assistant (uncredited)
Peter Madamba	....	script researcher (uncredited)
Ossie Mair	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Erich A. Muller	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Skyler Ng	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jordan Schmidt	....	location scout (uncredited)
John Trujillo	....	layout board (uncredited)

Merci
David Copperfield	....	the producers wish to thank
Derek DelGaudio	....	the producers wish to thank
Dan Sasaki	....	the producers wish to thank

Companies de production

• Touchstone Pictures (present)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (present) (a Time Warner Company)
• Newmarket Productions (as Mewmarket Films)
• Syncopy

Distributeurs

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2006) (worldwide) (all media) (non-USA)
• Buena Vista Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (also Blu-ray)
• Continental Film (2007) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2006-2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Karo Premiere (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Newmarket Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Village Films (2006) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2007) (Greece) (DVD)
• GAGA (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Veronica (2009) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (UK) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)

Technicien des effets spéciaux

• BUF (visual effects)

Autres Companies

• Aircam  helicopters: Colorado aerial unit (as Aircam National Helicopters)
• American Humane Association, The  animals monitored by: AHA 01155
• Animal Actors of Hollywood  animal trainer: cats
• Boston Museum of Science  the producers wish to thank
• Buena Vista Negative Cutting  negative cutter
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (as Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc.)
• Chef Robért Catering  caterer (as Chef Robert)
• Executive Assurance  security (uncredited)
• Global Entertainment Partners  post production services
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack available on
• Inflatable Crowd Company, The  inflatable mannequins (uncredited)
• Juniper Post  foreign dub (uncredited)
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision Remote Systems  camera equipment provided by
• Phil Smith Livestock  animal trainer: horses and birds (as Phil Smith's Animal Rentals)
• Princes Arms Hotel  the producers wish to thank
• Remote Control Productions Inc.  score mixed at
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility (uncredited)
• Spacecam Systems  aerial cameras provided by
• Todd-AO Scoring Stage  score recorded at (as Todd AO Scoring Stage)
• Walt Disney Music Library, The  music preparation (as Walt Disney Music Library)
• audiomachine  advertising (uncredited)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images.

Durée:

130 min

Pays:

USA | UK

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

2,35 : 1

Son:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Classification:

Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:18PL | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42935) | Philippines:R-13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Italy:T | Sweden:11 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Brazil:14 | Denmark:11 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Norway:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario)

Lieux de tournage:

Belasco Theatre - 1060 S. Hill Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Société:

Touchstone Pictures

Anecdotes:

Chung Ling Soo was a stage character created by a Caucasian American man, William Ellsworth Robinson, who disguised himself as a Chinese man to cash in on audiences' enthusiasm for the exotic. Robinson lived as Chung, never breaking character while in public. He died in March 1918 when a bullet catch trick went wrong. "My God, I've been shot" were both his last words and the first English he had spoken on stage in 19 years.

Goofs:

Anachronismes: During the two scenes in which Jackman and Caine discover playing cards attached to the bottom of their pint glasses, the glasses they are drinking from are 'Nonic' glasses. These were designed in the 1960s to protect straight glasses from nicks and cracks when cleaned in automatic dishwashers.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
Alfred Borden: Are you watching closely?

Connexions:

figure dans The Director's Notebook (2007) (V)

Bande son:

Drinkin' Down the Rose & Crown

A Stylish, Uniquely Twisted Period Piece

What "The Prestige" does very well is recreate a period of show business history near the turn of the century in which competition between magicians was serious and intense. The workings of the complicated illusions are gorgeously brought to life via smartly detailed apparatus that replicate the actual mechanics of Victorian legerdemain.

Much of the film rings very true, such as the all-consuming obsessions of the lead characters to be the best and outdo all others. It's an easy step to accept that such unwavering determination spills over into deadly territory, as rival magicians suave Rupert Angier (a riveting performance by Hugh Jackman) and audacious Alfred Borden (Christian Bale effortlessly playing a brooding lower-class Brit) each seek to wreak continuing revenge upon the other.

The story, though adapted from a novel, feels like a perfect fit for director Nolan's sensibilities, as the machinations of the two men become increasingly convoluted during a back-and-forth tug of wits that keeps you guessing in the style of Nolan's "Memento." As the game grows increasingly deadly, and threatens to consume all they love, the film becomes a fascinating study in single-mindedness.

The work is epic in sweep, beautifully filmed, and strongly acted. The only odd note in casting is David Bowie as Nikola Tesla (he looks nothing like the actual Tesla, if you care about these sort of things, and his appearance calls attention to itself as superstar casting often does), but Mr. Bowie holds his own. Solid performances are all around, with Michael Caine adding dignity and depth as the old master, Scarlett Johanssen as the as the lovely stage assistant who becomes the third point in a twisted love triangle, and even Andy Serkis (Gollum!) in a memorable supporting role.

The introduction of Tesla adds yet another twist, as the film shifts from real-but-possible stage illusion to steam-punkish sci-fi. This transition is a hard note to pull off, since the beginning of the film doesn't quite suggest such a direction, but if you're willing to let Nolan lead you on the journey into increasingly fantastic realms, the narrative rewards you with thought-provoking moral and dramatic exploration of the issues raised.

A truly entertaining movie, and an original, unusual, dark ride -- well worth seeing in a theater for its grand scope and vision.