Finally watched The Prestige last night. I was favorably impressed. I really liked the book, but for once I approved of the changes they made to adapt the story to film.

I also liked the fact that it rewarded the attentive viewer, and that if you'd read the book and thus knew how the tricks were done, you still could maintain a fair amount of interest.

The incongruity yet coolness of Tesla's inclusion stayed.

The one thing, and this is weird, that bugged me (okay, one of two things, but the other isn't weird): Both magicians were nutbars, clearly mental, and not particularly sympathetic. This was perfectly good and kind of interesting in the book, but bugged me in the movie. At the end, I sort of felt like I was supposed to think one was the good guy, and I didn't.

The second thing that bugged me was how much Bale looked like Tom Cruise. He always does a little, but it was really pronounced in this movie, and thus hard to watch.

Any more detail, and I'll have to go to spoiler font...but it was nice to be pleasantly surprised.

Well, I have to say that the magician who didn't commit murder is the one I favor, though his nutbar tendencies clearly destroyed lives.

By the end of the film, I disliked both magicians so much that I didn't care any more.

Having neither magician be sympathetic in the end kinda detracted from the love I have for the rest of the movie. I loved the structure of the movie and the reveals and I liked the parrallels to Tesla (David Bowie!). But in the end, I kinda hated everybody, magicians, wives, girlfriends, mistresses, and magicians assistants. And near the end, when Hugh Jackman's character is waxing on about the reason he did it all, the pure joy of it and the wonder... it was such total B.S., because he was just as obsessed and f*cked up as Christian Bale. Perhaps that's how he started out, pure and innocent, but once the death and the rivalry started, he lost that innocence, and it seemed out of place that he would lie to himself and to... the other guy... at that final moment. At least for the structure of the story. It should have been a moment where the story became clearer as it revealed itself fully. Not muddied with lies presented as truths to the audience.

Juliebird is me. Those were my exact thoughts about the Prestige. I started out loving it, and was impressed by how much discussion it engendered, but I ended up not liking/caring about the characters at all.

I don't know -- I twigged to the Borden secret pretty early on in the film (not, at that point, having read the book yet), and began to separate out behavior: I think there was one magician I did really like in the film; I just didn't like his partner, and he wouldn't forsake his partner for any reason.

If there really were tells to help separate the Bordens, I didn't find it obvious which brother did what, or which died, and which pulled the trigger in the end. The fact remains that they were twisted enough to live their charade, even as it negatively impacted the women they loved, leaves both sullied in my eyes.

It should have been a moment where the story became clearer as it revealed itself fully. Not muddied with lies presented as truths to the audience.

I have not seen The Prestige yet, so I can't fully comment on it, but I know Chris Nolan (the director) likes stories about unreliable narrators. I think it's why he's done so well with the Batman franchise (and why I'm very excited about Dark Knight) -- Bats cannot be trusted to paint an honest picture of himself. Neither can the Joker.

I'm with Scola. Hated the characters and really, really hated the not-so-twisty ending.

I know Chris Nolan (the director) likes stories about unreliable narrators.

Seriously. That's what I love Nolan's movies. I don't even like magicians and I don't usually watch movies about magicians, but when I heard he directed the movie, I was first in line at the theater. Nolan does character development pretty well for most of the important characters in his movies.

Memento just slayed me and I've loved the director ever since. The movie works great playing it forward too! Just wow.