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I opened this film with an enthusiastic heart but, frankly speaking, closed the film with an empty feeling. I was left nonplussed by the climax where the enigmatic Fallon comes into full light. That's a little too much stretching there don't you think? I haven't read the novel but I can say you this that Christopher Nolan may have given the characters expert hands and the ability to amaze the in-film audience with their mastery but he himself could not produce that effect. He disguised the show-stopper quite thinly. I could see the end coming from a mile away but nevertheless, the film was great and nowhere near a disappointment or worst.
The rivalry between Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is one of modern cinema's best. Both the actors masterfully played their roles with the former being the best performance in the film. Jackman always had a unique stage charisma and it was of no wonder that all of his stage scenes were brilliant and smooth. Any scene sans-Jackman, Christian Bale had the top hand. The supporting were also excellent. Michael Caine has always been an interesting supporting character in recent years and in here he was just brilliant. The most surprising element was David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. Man, will his charisma and the power to dominate ever diminish? He should appear in more roles like these: small but everlasting. From the females I enjoyed Rebecca Hall as Sarah. Whereas Scarlett Johansson was more of an eye-candy extra cast and nothing more.
I would like to call in another film here: The Illusionist, released in the same year and almost in the same vein, being mindf*** and almost in the same setting. The reason why I liked The Illusionist more is because it had more depth and a much better art of story-telling whereas this one was done to confuse and press the replay button again. I guess you can say the non-linear storyline didn't quite work it's charm and should've used another technique.
All in all, in the performance field it's top notch but in the others, it's a bit lacking, sorry to say that!
8.5/10
