Like the real Angier died the first time he ever performed the trick.

You think so? I don't think. He died every time -- and didn't. Every copy is exact, whole: they're both Angier, one no more "original" than the other.

My fellow viewer took the bit with the hats and cats as a scam, yet another trick. I just wasn't sure, because I didn't feel sure what the universe-rules were until they were demonstrated right in front of me.

I think the real twist comes in the horrifying realization that A) the doubles are truly IDENTICAL in that they think of themselves as real, immediately, because they are, essentially, and B) he was killing them off every night.

Well, "he" was killing "him" every night -- but who killed whom? If the one thrown out up to the balcony is the "copy," then the version closer to the original was being drowned every time. If they're both the original, whole and intact, then you can get into whole funny arguments about whether it's murder or suicide.

From his point of view, Angier was 50% expecting to die every night. And it never occurred to him that, in fact, he did die every night.

I never considered that he simply had a twin.

I guessed it on an extratextual basis: there were too many scenes that demanded a shot/reverse-shot of Alfred and Fallon speaking to each other, where we never got the reverse shot. I realized after the third or fourth of these that the only reason to omit a close-up on an actor, when convention demands it, is if you are actively concealing that actor's identity. Also, the line of spirit-gum on Fallon's beard was a bit obvious.

I did know pretty quickly that Angier wasn't really dead, for the same line of reasoning Jessica states.

The nice twisty bit I did like regarding the multiple drownings was that the only reason Angier was doing the trick the way he did (as opposed to simply having the original fall onto a bed of spikes or something), was that Michael Caine, at his wife's funeral, had told him that drowning was an easy and comfortable way to die. In his head, he wasn't doing anything cruel, and because the created double never had the memory of the other's death, he had no way of knowing otherwise. I don't think the full horror of it really hit him until the end, when Caine says, "Um, no, dumbass, I just said that to make you feel better. Drowning is painful and horrible."

Agreed, although really, drowning is also a quiet way to die, and one that doesn't require an assistant, and doesn't leave room for fighting back or blood getting everywhere. It's awfully convenient to use. And really, one way or another, the unlucky fellow dies anyway -- that's the depraved part. He could waft him away in a gentle ether dream, but it's still murder.

The question of murder vs. suicide was big in my crowd. Lots of existential agita. And, while I'd like to think that Angier believed the drowning is like going home line, he watched his own wife drown with terror in her eyes, screaming his name. How could he delude himself after that ?

Another interesting question that came up was, Why would Bolton and Fallon switch lovers? If one loved Sarah and the other loved Scarlett, why wouldn't they stay with their respective happy-mates? I guessed that they did this to cover up any potenial 'tells' about there being two Bales. If one sees minor differences with enough consistency, does one's mind forget them?

Also, when Sarah said," I know what you are." Did she mean that she knew there were two Bales? I couldn't quite work that one out.

Beej, I don't think Borden and Fallon did switch lovers. Borden says that they each loved a separate woman; that was the only difference between them.

One question I had about The Prestige was I got the weird impression that Borden and Fallon somehow switched places in their last prison visit, even though I couldn't see how it was possible. I felt that way because of the look to the guard at the end and because earlier in the film the one in prison is very worried about the daughter, but in the end it is the one out of prison who was her true father.

The weakest part of The Departed for me was by far the sudden explosion of moles. Assuming Delahunt really was a cop...it makes the conversation make sense, but damn. What team was he a mole for? It really diluted things for me.

For you Prestige-watching people, had any of you read the Christopher Priest book first? If so, did that add or subtract to the experience? As I recall, Mely had and enjoyed the film.

I'm just wondering if I should read it, then see it, or see it, then read it.

I haven't read the book, but now I want to. Reading the book first almost always spoils the movie experience for me.

P-C, I got the distinct impression that they did switch back and forth. Not the least of which, because of the "not today" response to Sarah asking, "Do you love me?" Didn't Borden (forgive my mispelling upthread...may Michael forgive me too) say as much at one point?