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entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
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Seen, Heard, Noted & Quoted
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by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
B+ PG-13 135 min
Consider this entire scenario an illusion–a cinematic sleight of hand. Never trust what the two magicians say or do. They harbor deep secrets driven by malice and jealously. The premise involves a bitter feud between two top magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) in 1899, just as electricty is being harnessed. When Alfred performs the greatest magic trick in the history of magic, Robert will stop at nothing to find out his secret. In fact, both magicians efforts to trump one another lead the two men into murderous illusions of revenge and cunning schemes to get even.
This masterwork of screen illusion was written by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia, and Batman Begins) as a riddle wrapped in a mystery. He built the acrimonious relationship between the two rivals with depth and gradual character development. They start out as friends but when Robert’s wife is killed during a water escape trick, the bitterness starts to erode their bond. Robert accuses Alfred of tying the wrong knot, that didn’t allow Robert’s wife to slip out of the rope in time. Add ego and jealously to the simmering mix and a nasty feud between the two men erupts. They show up in disguise at each other’s performances to scuttle their tricks.
Throughout the story, there is a deeper level of deception that neither magician will give away to each other or to the viewer. This film needs the viewer’s complete attention. As the story unfolds, there are subtle tells that hint at the Big Twist, but don’t try to figure it out until the end and all the subplots run their course. It’s a mind blower.
Robert is determined to become the most famous magician in the world by applying real science to his magic. During this time, Edison harnessed the particle uses of electricity. Telsa discovered AC current and invented an AC motor. Tesla, played skillfully by David Bowie, continues to experiment in a secret location near Colorado Springs, Robert travels to Tesla’s lab to have him build him a giant electrical prop.
Here, Nolan’s scenario drifts into science fiction as Robert travels to the remote region where Tesla’s secret lab is located and books a hotel room. At first, his efforts to see Tesla are rejected by his assistant, but finally Robert is allowed a visit. He sees Tesla’s amazing electrical arc generators. Robert commissions Tesla build him his new machine that will apply Tesla’s electrical principals to his show.
The story is told in flashback while Alfred sits in jail, accused of murdering Robert, who drowned in his own water prop. Alfred is innocent, but Robert’s deceptions are so complex, Alfred can never prove he didn’t kill Robert. Scarlett Johansson plays Robert’s assistant and lover. He sends her to Alfred to spy on him, but she double crosses Robert and takes up with Alfred who is married. Now add the love triangle to the conflict, and anything could happen.
As Alfred, Christian Bale turned in his best performances to date. Hugh Jackman also nailed his character dark brooding envy of his nemesis, Alfred. Scarlett Johansson, who is in danger of overexposure appearing in a dozen films this year, plays her role as Olivia with her customary acting skill. A surprise standout in the cast is Samantha Mahurin, who plays Jess, Alfred’s wife who has to endure his affair with Olivia. Her look of betrayal is devastatingly convincing, showing how low a woman can sink in deep depression. She should have not trusted Alfred–he was after all a magician with many secrets. His whole life was an illusion.
The acrimony between the two rivals reaches a fever pitch, as they both try to one-up each other in a deadly game. Soon, their lives are controlled by the feud, leaving no time for life’s pleasures. Hate turns evil and then bad things happen. Their end game is, the last one left standing wins–but wins what–they both lost everything that was important to them. They were consumed by their hatred of one another.
Viewers will be scratching their heads and talking about this film when they leave the theater, comparing each other’s conclusions about the story. It s not a film one can leave and go get popcorn and return. Every scene is important to the grand finale.
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