"Are you watching closely?" It's not just a question for the characters, it's a warning to the audience. You need to be paying super close attention to this film because, as is only natural for a movie about magicians, nothing is quite as it seems. The entire film is a study in pretense, filled with people who are trying to trick and deceive others. Throughout the movie, the audience gets just as caught up as the characters in trying to figure out what is real and what is just a clever illusion. Just as "Don't Panic" serves as a perfect complement to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Are you watching closely?" fully encapsulates everything that The Prestige is about.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
