Prestige Doesn’t Pay Off

I think The Prestige was a disappointment. I’m qualifying myself here on the off-chance that the film might actually be brilliant, and I just missed it. But I don’t think so.

I think it ended up wanting to be much more clever than it really was.

Which is unfortunate, because it had a very nice message about not letting revenge and obsession become, well, vengeful obsessions.

But they had set up so long the idea of “THE PRESTIGE!” that they kind of had to have a big whammy of a finish. But I don’t think they really did. Or, at least, I sat there in the last shot not sure of what just happened, and frustrated by Michael Caine’s strong Cockney accent that garbled the last word of the film which might have been key.

But, I guess I’ll never know.

The film’s other main twist – I mean the one that comes before the last frame twist that might not really be a twist not sure I’ll ever know – is really kind of pathetic as it is broadcast all throughout the film.

And were they asking us to believe that science can really do what they seem to say it can in the film? I didn’t get that either.

The film has a couple of vioolent moments. It’s really not scary. Teenagers can see it without harm. As long as they don’t become overly frustrated by movies that are too clever by half.

Sometimes too clever is really just that. Not much fun.

If anybody can explain the ending to me here, I would be obliged.