Photo by: Touchstone Pictures and Warner Bros Entertainment

Magic has fascinated audiences for centuries. Whether through entertaining parlor tricks or stories of “true” magic, audiences are fixated on the mystery of the seemingly unexplained.

“The Prestige” is no exception to this phenomenon. In fact, the movie plays with the boundaries of reality, making audiences once again question what is real and what is merely illusion.

Based on a 1995 novel by Christopher Priest, the story is built around the rivalry between Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), two talented young Victorian age magicians.

They begin as assistants who work together along with Cutter (Michael Kane), a magic engineer whose job is to invent and manufacture contraptions that aid in the creation of illusions.

An accident during one of the acts leads to a tragedy that creates a rift between Angier and Borden.

This ends their friendship and is the beginning of a heated and malicious rivalry.

As both characters proceed to make a name for themselves on separate stages, the competition intensifies as they plot to learn one another’s secrets.

The two men take their obsession with one another to such extremes that they are willing to sacrifice almost anything to prevail.

The story also brings in some history as it hints at a rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, both electrical engineering pioneers of the time.

David Bowie gives a stirring portrayal of the strange and mysterious Tesla, whom Angier seeks out in hopes that what he finds might allow him to surpass Borden as the top magician.

Curiously, “The Prestige” is the second period piece film concerning magic to enter theaters this year; the other is “The Illusionist,” starring Edward Norton.

“The Prestige” brings equally acclaimed acting with brilliant performances from Jackman and Bale.

Bale, as he has in past roles such as with his portrayal of Bruce Wayne in “Batman Begins,” shows his capability to get completely lost in a role. His portrayal of Borden is some of his best acting to date. Acting veteran Michael Kane deserves a mention as well for his always dependable performance as Cutter.

The settings of the movie, including one in Colorado Springs, are extremely vivid and rich.

The dark tones and lighting of the movie mirror the somber and mysterious subject matter contained within the story.

The structure of the movie itself mirrors a magic trick. The film begins with a voice over of Cutter explaining the elements of every good illusion.

The movie contains these elements as well.

What can originally be perceived as a normal plot quickly transforms into a layered and thought-provoking drama, leading to the final shock at the end.

The movie is told mostly through the segmented narrative of the two perspectives of Borden and Angier.

It begins with Borden reading the diary of Angier then periodically switches to Angier reading the diary of Borden. The setting continually jumps back and forth through time.

This is one of those films that leaves audiences wanting to watch it again in order to catch all of the shifts and twists that they may have missed during the first viewing.

This is director Christopher Nolan’s second film starring Bale and Kane, the first being “Batman Begins.” The three are an obvious winning combination.

With its impressive acting, beautifully crafted settings, and darkly enticing story, “The Prestige” is an enjoyable film overall.