Film The Prestige

Massive Spanner

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I disagree on that, there's plenty of foreshadowing that goes on beforehand, the whole reason Angier goes to meet Tesla is because he thinks Borden got a functioning teleporter from him in order to make his trick work.
Sure, foreshadowing, but it doesn't mean you think you're watching a fecking sci Fi film where humans can be cloned by lightning.
 

Massive Spanner

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I mean, it's a film about magic.
It's a film about magicians. It always has a logical explanation for their acts, as it should, apart from Tesla.

Why do people try to justify Tesla? It's clearly a ridiculous plot device.
 

Ubik

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Magicians yeah, and for the whole film it's an openly stated possibility that one of them is magically transporting himself across a room. Or that he's doing it with the help of a scientist who's first mentioned about halfway through. I can understand not liking the Tesla addition as too contrived (I disagree because one of the main themes is obsession, and he's also a nod to the old Arthur C Clarke adage about magic and science, but hey), but I don't take the criticism at all that the fantastic element is introduced without warning ten minutes from the end.
 

SteveJ

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The book is pretty good, and ends in a haunting manner suggestive of Frankenstein.
 

ivaldo

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It's a film about magicians. It always has a logical explanation for their acts, as it should, apart from Tesla.

Why do people try to justify Tesla? It's clearly a ridiculous plot device.
Yup. I was so disappointed with the ending, was really enjoying the fill up until then. If in doubt: magic did it.
 

whatwha

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Great film, absolutely loved it the first time I saw it. Was shocked by the ending but in a good way. Watched it a second time a few years later and wasn't quite as impressed, but it's got to be somewhere in my top 25 favorite movies ever, simply based on how great the first viewing experience was. :drool:
 

dumbo

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It's really good but I thought Ebert summed it up well, they never told us it was a science fiction movie until the last 10 minutes, they basically lied to us and gave us a plot device to continue the plot and give a big twist.
The sci fi twist element serves the fundamental themes. It is not important in and of itself and Tesla ex machina is not used to explain anything away. Borden can perform the trick. The teleportation process is used to demonstrate the obsessive lengths the characters are prepared to go to. Are you prepared to make the sacrifice for the art, as with the bird in the cage and their loved ones and the old man with the fish tank and with the double/half life of Borden and the fingers and finally with your entire self - again and again. The escalation is pretty neat I reckon. Only the drowning Angier realises the true price.

It's exactly the type of detail that Ebert often missed. You don't have to like the sci fi or the Telsa character but viewing them as a cop out seems to be missing the point.

There's a little too much exposition and it's slightly too symmetrical but it is brilliant all the same.
 

Ubik

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The sci fi twist element serves the fundamental themes. It is not important in and of itself and Tesla ex machina is not used to explain anything away. Borden can perform the trick. The teleportation process is used to demonstrate the obsessive lengths the characters are prepared to go to. Are you prepared to make the sacrifice for the art, as with the bird in the cage and their loved ones and the old man with the fish tank and with the double/half life of Borden and the fingers and finally with your entire self - again and again. The escalation is pretty neat I reckon. Only the drowning Angier realises the true price.

It's exactly the type of detail that Ebert often missed. You don't have to like the sci fi or the Telsa character but viewing them as a cop out seems to be missing the point.

There's a little too much exposition and it's slightly too symmetrical but it is brilliant all the same.
:drool:
 

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First time I watched it I was left very disappointed due to the cloning thing - I was waiting for a mindblowing but physically possible explanation to the trick, so I was left a bit underwhelmed.

Also hated Jackman's double. Find it ridiculous how they so easily find a man who looks exactly like him when in reality it's basically impossible for that to happen without an identical twin.

I rewatched it last night and despite the above points still annoying me slightly, because I was expecting them this time they didn't ruin my enjoyment of the film. I came to appreciate that it's actually very good and the 2 hours flew by.
 

Massive Spanner

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The sci fi twist element serves the fundamental themes. It is not important in and of itself and Tesla ex machina is not used to explain anything away. Borden can perform the trick. The teleportation process is used to demonstrate the obsessive lengths the characters are prepared to go to. Are you prepared to make the sacrifice for the art, as with the bird in the cage and their loved ones and the old man with the fish tank and with the double/half life of Borden and the fingers and finally with your entire self - again and again. The escalation is pretty neat I reckon. Only the drowning Angier realises the true price.

It's exactly the type of detail that Ebert often missed. You don't have to like the sci fi or the Telsa character but viewing them as a cop out seems to be missing the point.

There's a little too much exposition and it's slightly too symmetrical but it is brilliant all the same.
What a load of toss. Saying I'm "missing the point" is so hypocritical, as if you've a deeper understanding of the film than the rest of us. It's my opinion that the Tesla sci Fi element takes away from the film, I'm not missing any point by having that opinion.
What do you mean by Jackman's double?
His exact lookalike body double in the film for one of his tricks.
 

Revan

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His exact lookalike body double in the film for one of his tricks.
Isn't that his clone created by Tesla's machine. Bale had a twin, Jackman didn't, so Jackman created a clone of himself every time with the clone killing the original one and the vicious cycle continuing forever.

My only doubt back then was if Bale had a twin, or did he just used the machine once.

Anyway, have watched this movie a long time ago so probably I have forgotten parts of it.
 

Massive Spanner

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Isn't that his clone created by Tesla's machine. Bale had a twin, Jackman didn't, so Jackman created a clone of himself every time with the clone killing the original one and the vicious cycle continuing forever.

My only doubt back then was if Bale had a twin, or did he just used the machine once.

Anyway, have watched this movie a long time ago so probably I have forgotten parts of it.
Yeah you're all wrong, you should really watch it.
 

Ubik

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The funny thing about the book is that Borden being twins isn't really a twist at all, it's discovered quite early on.
 

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Isn't that his clone created by Tesla's machine. Bale had a twin, Jackman didn't, so Jackman created a clone of himself every time with the clone killing the original one and the vicious cycle continuing forever.

My only doubt back then was if Bale had a twin, or did he just used the machine once.

Anyway, have watched this movie a long time ago so probably I have forgotten parts of it.
They find his doppelgänger way before the cloning starts, so it's just a ridiculous coincidence.

The cloning happens because Root (the doppelgänger) is drunk and unreliable.
 

BBer13

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They find his doppelgänger way before the cloning starts, so it's just a ridiculous coincidence.

The cloning happens because Root (the doppelgänger) is drunk and unreliable.
I think angier wanted also to be the one stood on the stage for the prestige. With root as his double he often had to take it in turns.
 

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Prestige is a great film.

Bollywood ripped it off with their film "Dhoom 3" and it made me want to slap the director.
 

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The funny thing about the book is that Borden being twins isn't really a twist at all, it's discovered quite early on.
The book is very different. Wonder what the people bashing Tesla's machine would think of the way the book indulges in full esoteric shenanigans, without any warning.
 
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Grib

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I think angier wanted also to be the one stood on the stage for the prestige. With root as his double he often had to take it in turns.
I believe angier never got to take the prestige with his double as the double wasn't a magician or sober so couldn't do the lead up to the trick

Unlike Borden and his twin who indeed did take turns, this was one of the main points Borden made to angier during one of their exchanges
 

SirAF

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I believe angier never got to take the prestige with his double as the double wasn't a magician or sober so couldn't do the lead up to the trick

Unlike Borden and his twin who indeed did take turns, this was one of the main points Borden made to angier during one of their exchanges
Yep, Cutter explained to Angier that if Root opened his mouth on stage it would be all over.
 

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I thought it was bang average. Possibly because I watched it with reasonably high expectations. Too many preposterous plot contrivances to make it work on the story alone and not much else beyond the story to keep you interested. At least Inception had some cool visual effects. And I thought that wasn't much cop either. Yet more evidence that Nolan has been on a downward trend since Following. I probably shouldn't watch Dunkirk.
 
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BBer13

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I believe angier never got to take the prestige with his double as the double wasn't a magician or sober so couldn't do the lead up to the trick

Unlike Borden and his twin who indeed did take turns, this was one of the main points Borden made to angier during one of their exchanges

Yeah that's probably right, as root was mostly drunk and quite obviously not the show man that angier was it makes sense.
 

Bubz27

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This films fecking amazing! Must've been my dozenth (is that a word?) watch. And I know it's a cliche at this point with this film, but you really do notice something new every time. The subtleties when Bale is playing Borden and when he's Fallon being Borden are great. Small details that make this film one of the greats, imo.
 

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I think it’s a well crafted movie devoid of any meaning, with a story that makes no sense at all and a reveal that’s an insult to the audience. Basically like every Nolan movie bar the Batman trilogy.