The Prestige

So, I watched the Prestige about a year ago, and though it was a great movie, and gave it a 10. Recently I rewatched it, and now I start to question my top 10 movies, as I hadn't considered the Prestige for a spot. When I rework my top movies, I'll post about it.
So I might as well review this amazing piece of cinema directed by the great Christopher Nolan (I'll also do a post on directors eventually) starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and the beautiful Scarlett Johansson. And no matter what bad you can say about Christian Bale, that he is a jerk and that he has the worst Batman voice, but he is an amazing actor. Hugh Jackman I don't really have much of an opinion about. And Miss Johansson is gorgeous.

But considering what an amazing end it has, I don't want to spoil it in the slightest, so. So I guess this article will go unread, because Aris, that lazy bum has yet to watch it =D.

So ya, it's a great movie, everybody watch it asap, and from this point onward

Though I won't outright say anything, because people might not notice this giant sign. But I'll talk about themes in the movie, which if noticed too much, might lead to figuring out the ending earlier, and that's no fun.

So this movie is amazing. It has many ideas that it presents in the movie, and has tiny parallels that mirror those big questions. So the obvious question, is how far would one go to, well in the movies case be the greatest magician, but more broadly, be great? Both lead actors go through many trials and sacrifices for their art.
There is also the issue of pride. Obviously the desire for greatness, but also, does one want to be the man in the box, or the man in the prestige, the one who gets the applause? How important is getting that glory?
My favorite aspect that is touched by this movie, that seems to bother other critics most, is the use of the sci-fi element. They seem, however to miss the message. The movie is showing that true magic is real, in the sciences. Being a scientist myself, that is a heart-warming thought. And a famous quote is used and altered by various characters: man's reach exceeds his grasp.

Then of course there are the twists and turns at the end. That I personally didn't expect at all (well the main one). It's a great twist in and of itself. But going through the movie a second time, knowing the ending, it is great to see allusions to the end, that seem obvious now. Just like when Bale's character explained one of his tricks, the other comments, how it's so obvious now. And the repeating of the lines from the beginning at the end: "Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking."
Because it is so much greater not knowing, that you don't pay attention to the small details, would you look carefully it would lose some of its value. It still was a great watch the second time, even though I wasn't surprised by the end.

End of spoilers, I guess
Overall opinion. It is a well directed, well acted drama/thriller about to ambitious magicians battling it out full of sacrifice. Though there may be some aspects towards the end that throw people off, I believe they just missed the point as to why it was put in, and the story as a whole is very, very good. The run time is just over two hours, so it is a good length.
Somehow this masterpiece by Nolan is underrated, having 8.4 on imdb, but only a 75% on rottentomatoes , mostly due to dumb critics like Cole Smithey...ok, he didn't review that movie, but, you should check his reviews out (he is one of 4 who ruined Toy Story 3's 100% on rt, and one of 10 that didn't like Memento or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind btw), just to laugh at how stupid that man is. Don't read his reviews to any movie you haven't seen, since he basically summarizes the entire plot, which constitutes to the core of his review. But read say, Scott Pilgrim, Kick-Ass or ESotSM and see what a fool he is.

uuhhhh...so ya 10/10.