The Prestige is a beautifully shot tale of magic and what it takes to become a master of deception. And like the art form itself, this film is chalk full of sleight of hand trickery that will have you pondering what you've just seen long after you've left the movie theater. What's more, this flick even gives up a few trade secrets.

Based on the novel by Christopher Priest, The Prestige takes place in turn of the century London and follows the lives of Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale)-- two up and coming magicians who have their sights set on wealth and popularity. Rupert and Alfred start off as good friends, but that friendship quickly sours when an elaborate illusion goes horribly awry. Immediately following, the two go their separate ways which sparks a fierce competition that sees them continuously attempting to one up each other in a series of diabolical tricks that harm the other's credibility.

The Prestige was directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins), and, as was the case with his past efforts, he's quite the master with pacing and tone. This picture starts with a startling incident, then, it jumps back and drops all the necessary clues which would have the audience guess what lead to this incident.

On the surface, The Prestige appears to be comparable to the recent indie gem The Illusionist, and while it is true – both films weave their tales around the world of magic - that's where the comparison stops. The Illusionist is a terrific entertainment to be sure, but whereas that picture opts to spell virtually everything out for the audience, The Prestige plays out with much more ambiguity, particularly where the mind bending ending is concerned. Certainly, Nolan's picture answers many questions you will have by the time the end credits role, but some things are left unanswered piquing one's curiosity, and I really liked that about The Prestige.

The performances in The Prestige are top notch. Hugh Jackman brings emotion and a much needed sense of self doubt to the role of Rupert, and this turn will more than whet my appetite until I have a chance to see his much buzzed about performance in The Fountain. Christian Bale, by contrast, brings mystery and swagger to his Alfred. The sacrifices this performer makes for his art are unthinkable, and this talented actor completely sells it. Bale has the added pressure of playing the more unlikable (or, some might argue, more driven) character of the two, but by the end of the film we have a clear picture of what this guy is willing to go through to deceive the world.

The supporting cast brings their A game. Michael Caine is classy and smooth as Cutter, a creator of tricks, while Scarlett Johansson is luminous as a woman caught between the affection of both men. David Bowie is wonderfully low key in a bit part as a mastermind assigned the task of aiding Rupert in creating the greatest illusion ever.

The screenplay adaptation by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan is literary, smart, and suspenseful with taut turns at every corner. In many ways both The Prestige and The Illusionist often reminded me of The Usual Suspects. Simply put, the film plays like one big magic trick, but it throws a bit of science into the equation as well. After all, an illusion is just that – an illusion. There's always a bit of scientific explanation behind them.

Is the Prestige perfect? Hardly. Without giving too much away, I was a bit bugged by a scenario involving an eager Rupert desperately seeking a look alike so that he might bring his teleportation illusion to life. Had Rupert had a twin, I might have bought into that bit of deception, but this sort of Prince and the Pauper scenario, requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. But then, so does magic in general. Having said that, the big reveal in the final act is a good one and the last frame of the picture had me smiling and scratching my head at the same time.

The Prestige is intricate and a good bit of fun and I'd be completely lying if I said I caught every tiny nuance in the first viewing. Like all great jigsaw puzzle movies, The Prestige is a picture that will, no doubt, become more and more fascinating with repeated viewings. Cheers to Christopher Nolan. I can't wait to see what this guy does with The Dark Knight.

Grade: B+