T h e - P r e s t i g e .

[Kotowboy]

Amazing film and a great performance by David Bowie. One of Chris Nolan's best.

The ending - was it supposed to be a twist that the tanks all contained clones of Hugh Jackman's character ?

The way Michael Caine was narrating it - it sounded like it you were supposed to believe that was not the case.

I don't quite get it?

[Fiery Winds]

Each time he performed the trick, it created a copy.  One would reappear at the back of the room, and one would drop into the storage tank.  I think they saved the bodies until they could dispose of them.

[Kotowboy]

Each time he performed the trick, it created a copy.  One would reappear at the back of the room, and one would drop into the storage tank.  I think they saved the bodies until they could dispose of them.

I got that.

I just meant that right at the end of the film Caine is helping Jackman with his things and Bale shoots him - you see all the tanks with bodies in - and the way Caine says " you want to be fooled " suggests that the audience was supposed to think that that's not what was happening.

[Phoenix87x]

I love the prestige and this is the message I took away from the film:

"the path of revenge leads to self destruction"   



(like literally)


and in response to the op, I'm not sure if the ending was supposed to be a twist. I kind of figured it out after the first two times he did it.

[Fiery Winds]

I just meant that right at the end of the film Caine is helping Jackman with his things and Bale shoots him - you see all the tanks with bodies in - and the way Caine says " you want to be fooled " suggests that the audience was supposed to think that that's not what was happening.

Ah, gotcha.  Not so much a twist, as the realization that he had been doing this many times, without regard for "human" (being a clone) life.  As Michael Caine said, "No one cares about the man in the box."

[Jaffa]

Love the movie, love the book even more. 

I just meant that right at the end of the film Caine is helping Jackman with his things and Bale shoots him - you see all the tanks with bodies in - and the way Caine says " you want to be fooled " suggests that the audience was supposed to think that that's not what was happening.

I wouldn't read too much into that line.  I don't think it's supposed to hint at anything, it's just a comment on the deception that has happened in the movie. 

[sueño]

Good,  rather disturbing film.  I liked "The Illusionist" with Edward Norton in a similar vein.  But a different sort of revenge.

[Phantasmatron]

Love the movie, love the book even more. 

I like the movie more, although it might be because I read the book after seeing the movie.  The two of them are different enough that they're kind of both acceptable and interesting versions of the story.  It's not like, "Aw, they fucked up the ending" or anything.  It's more along the lines of taking the same idea and running in different directions with it.

I should read it again.

[rumborak]

Speaking of The Prestige, now I want to watch The Illusionist again.

[Lucidity]

Love this movie. Was so glad to see Tesla get some well-deserved screentime.

[BlackInk]

Great movie, just missed out on my top 20 list because it's currently at #21.

8.9/10 - Great

[TheVoxyn]

I absolutely hate it. I enjoy the story, am wondering how it will resolve, and then suddenly it turns sci-fi. I don't mind a sci-fi movie but at least let me know that I'm watching a sci-fi movie before the halfway point.

[Zantera]

I love it. Would probably say it's my favorite Nolan-movie after Memento.

[Kotowboy]

I love it. Would probably say it's my favorite Nolan-movie after Memento.

Inception
Prestige
BatMan Begins

[Jaffa]

Love the movie, love the book even more. 

I like the movie more, although it might be because I read the book after seeing the movie.  The two of them are different enough that they're kind of both acceptable and interesting versions of the story.  It's not like, "Aw, they fucked up the ending" or anything.  It's more along the lines of taking the same idea and running in different directions with it.

I should read it again.

Totally agree with this.  A perfect adaptation of the book really wouldn't make for a very good movie, so I feel like the changes they made for the movie are totally acceptable.  Despite their differences, the book and the movie don't really feel at odds with each other to me.  They're just two ways of telling basically the same story. 

I do prefer the book, just because I think the deceptions have a bigger impact when you're reading about them from both perspectives.  But the movie certainly has its strengths as well.  Nolan did a fantastic job with it. 

I absolutely hate it. I enjoy the story, am wondering how it will resolve, and then suddenly it turns sci-fi. I don't mind a sci-fi movie but at least let me know that I'm watching a sci-fi movie before the halfway point.

Out of curiosity, have you tried watching it again?  I'm just wondering if you might enjoy it more on a second viewing, knowing ahead of time which direction it was going.  The sci-fi elements might not be as jarring.

[TheVoxyn]

I absolutely hate it. I enjoy the story, am wondering how it will resolve, and then suddenly it turns sci-fi. I don't mind a sci-fi movie but at least let me know that I'm watching a sci-fi movie before the halfway point.

Out of curiosity, have you tried watching it again?  I'm just wondering if you might enjoy it more on a second viewing, knowing ahead of time which direction it was going.  The sci-fi elements might not be as jarring.

Yea, watched it twice. Second time I was also disappointed. I think because I am really interested in the story and the setting and then it takes this completely wrong turn for me.

[Jaffa]

Yea, watched it twice. Second time I was also disappointed. I think because I am really interested in the story and the setting and then it takes this completely wrong turn for me.

Fair enough.  I can understand that. 

[mrjazzguitar]

one of my all time favorites. for me the theme of the film is the same as Memento, another brilliant Nolan film.. one of the last lines from that one: "Do I lie to myself to make myself happy? In your case, yes."

[FlyingBIZKIT]

The Prestige is my favorite Nolan film.

[senecadawg2]

Since ranking is infectious,

Memento

Dark Knight
Batman Begins
DKR

Inception



Prestige


Either I'm stupid, or the Prestige is just one of the most unnecessarily convoluted films ever made. I should probably give it another try at some point, but as of now I'm with TheVoxyn on this one. It's a real shame too, given how much I've enjoyed all of Nolan's other movies. Memento 

[Zantera]

1. Memento
2. The Prestige
3. Inception
4. The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises
5. Batman Begins
6. Insomnia

[Phantasmatron]

Okay, I'll give this a shot:

1.  Memento
2.  The Prestige
3.  The Dark Knight
4.  Inception
5.  Batman Begins
6.  The Dark Knight Rises
7.  Following
8.  Insomnia

All of his movies that I've seen I've enjoyed.  Still haven't seen Man of Steel, but I need to.

[Bolsters]

omg lists For me:

Memento
The Dark Knight
Inception
Batman Begins
The Prestige
The Dark Knight Rises
Following
Insomnia

[bosk1]

Okay, I'll give this a shot:

1.  Memento
2.  The Prestige
3.  The Dark Knight
4.  Inception
5.  Batman Begins
6.  The Dark Knight Rises
7.  Following
8.  Insomnia

All of his movies that I've seen I've enjoyed.  Still haven't seen Man of Steel, but I need to.

I'm going to go in a completely different, but perfectly related direction.  Rather than discuss other Nolan films...

Saw Now You See Me over the weekend.  Still not sure what I think about it.  It had some very cool moments.  But I'm not sure it delivered on...what *I* thought the movie promised.  I mean, it looked like it was going to be a great combination of The Prestige and a good heist movie.  And on top of that, a cast that was just through the roof.  But it had a few problems as well that kind of let me down.

First, the acting.  With a cast this strong, I expected better acting.  But a lot of the dialog was clunky and did not feel like it was delivered with conviction.  Or, actually, maybe the mistake was actually that some of the dialog had too much conviction to the point where it wasn't believable.  In any case, I just felt like the characters at times weren't believable, or that they weren't developed to a point where I actually cared about what they were doing.  Maybe that's not the actors' faults at all, but is more a problem with the script and directing.  Not sure.  All I know is, there were times when the acting just seemed off to the point where it detracted from my enjoyment of the film.

Second...the "sci fi?"  In The Prestige, there was really only one sci-fi aspect of the film, and Nolan sold it well.  I was able to suspend belief and pretend it was real with zero effort.  In Now You See Me, it seemed like there was some sci-fi or "actual magic" at times, but it was never really clear, and I was never really sure what I was supposed to believe. 

Third, the plot wasn't as compelling as I thought it would be.  I never really was quite sure what the conflict was that I was waiting to be resolved, or why I should care.  So...these guys were just trying to become part of The Eye.  Okay.  We were never really told enough about The Eye that I (1) understood why they would want to be in, or (2) why it should matter.  In fact, it felt like they were so intent on the plot twist at the end that the story made the mistake of keeping things so obscured that you never really got where the movie was supposed to be going or what the true conflict or its resolution were supposed to be.

I think The Presige nailed all three areas above.  Now You See Me fell short.  It wasn't a disaster, and I would say I enjoyed it as a whole.  But it was also pretty forgettable.  I kinda wish I would have seen White House Down instead.

[sueño]

I agree with every word you just said.

Except for seeing White House Down.   

[kirksnosehair]

Might be worth it to put a Spoiler notice in the subject line of this thread 


I've never seen it, and now, I don't need to 

[sueño]

Might be worth it to put a Spoiler notice in the subject line of this thread 


I've never seen it, and now, I don't need to 

It's still very worth seeing.

[Jaffa]

I've never seen it, and now, I don't need to 

Yes, you do.

I mean, no, you don't need to see it (did you need to see it anyway?), but it's definitely a movie worth seeing.  Knowing what's coming doesn't ruin it at all, in my opinion. 

[BlackInk]

All of his movies that I've seen I've enjoyed.  Still haven't seen Man of Steel, but I need to.

I wouldn't really call Man of Steel a Nolan-film though.

Note sure of you even did that or just randomly stated that you need to see Man of Steel

[Phantasmatron]

I know he didn't direct Man of Steel, but he was involved in the writing.  That makes it something I have to see, as a Nolan fan, even though he wasn't as hands-on as he was in some of my favorite movies of his.

[Kotowboy]

I preferred all the backstory in Man Of Steel. When it came to all the fighting in Metropolis - I just lost interest.


But yeah - when it was good - it was really good. Obviously better than the last three Superman films.

[mrjazzguitar]

1. Memento
2. The Prestige
3. Inception
4. The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises
5. Batman Begins
6. Insomnia

I'm the same --- Memento is just so amazing.