Gothic gloom is something that's not lacking in Cracow - it comes creeping round every corner like the good old Count Drac himself. And if you can't get enough of that dark lord action, we heartily recommend catching the Nolan brothers' new film before it flies off the screens.
The Prestige conjures the world of the turn-of-the-century magician. Set in dingy London streets that reek of Jack the Ripper, the film is fanciful, far-fetched and fantastically entertaining. It's also rather dark, with a Shakespearean plot of revenge and some occasional but highly acute violence.
Do we already sound perverse for liking this movie....?! Well..., The Prestige soars with its polished script, transfixing cinematography and vintage performances from the all star cast. Christian Bale is in commanding form as the twisted young magician Alfred Borden, whilst Michael Caine plays his best role in years as stage engineer Harry Cutter. Bowie fans are also in for a treat as there's a marvellous cameo from 'The Thin White Duke' as Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla.
In the age before cinema took off, it was the magicians and cabaret crews that ruled the roost, and The Prestige captures some of the excitement of these forgotten stars. It also reveals the more brutal undersides to a few of those much-loved tricks of old. Suffice it to say that the average life expectancy of a bird working in the Illusion business was not on the high side.
The Prestige is a movie of many twists and turns. Not all of them enhance the film's power. And the character of Borden's wife seems a little too genteel for the gritty world she inhabits. But The Prestige wins with the sheer panache of the Nolans' storytelling. It's an eccentric project that's full of riches. Catch it before it disappears.
The Prestige' is showing at Kino Kijow, al. Krasinskiego 34 (smaller screen) and Cinema City, Galeria Kazimierz.
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