The Prestige (2006)

After a tragic accident, two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers:

Jonathan Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (screenplay)

Stars:

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson

Top Rated Movies #48 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

In the end of the nineteenth century, in London, Robert Angier, his beloved wife Julia McCullough, and Alfred Borden are friends and assistants of a magician. When Julia accidentally dies during a performance, Robert blames Alfred for her death, and they become enemies. Both become famous and rival magicians, sabotaging the performance of the other on the stage. When Alfred performs a successful trick, Robert becomes obsessed trying to disclose the secret of his competitor with tragic consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

rivalry | illusion | obsession | magician | secret | 

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Taglines:

A Rivalry That Turned Deadly.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [France] Warner Bros. [Germany]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Prestige

Filming Locations:

Spring Street Towers - 650 S. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,801,808, 22 October 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$53,089,891, 8 February 2007

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$109,676,311, 8 February 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Warner Bros., Newmarket Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast includes two Oscar winners, Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine, and one Oscar nominee, Hugh Jackman.

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Goofs

When Angier and Cutter 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.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in Repercussion (2015)

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Soundtracks

Tripping Gaily
Written and Performed by Ena Baga (as E. Baga)
Courtesy of DeWolfe Music

User Reviews

This was an amazing movie!

This was the best movie I have seen in at least the past two years. Most movies have me leave the theater feeling like I wasted 8 dollars or so. So many movies lately have left me feeling like I wasted away precious hors of my life that could have been spent doing better things. Yet this movie was truly a masterpiece and kept me guessing the whole time. The acting was superb and so was the plot. I usually can predict the outcomes of movies pretty early on. And usually I can see the twist the writer planned. With this movie I was still left wondering into the last 5 minutes of the movie. I can't wait to own this on DVD.