Ranking Every Christopher Nolan Protagonist From Worst To Best

5. Robert Angier - The Prestige

It's fair to say that The Prestige's revolving door of parlour tricks means that the protagonist often feels like it could be either Hugh Jackman or Christian Bale's characters, but ultimately the film is framed by Jackman and his magician Robert Angier's pathological obsession to one-up his rival, Alfred Borden.

Nolan's film captures professional competition better than almost any other movie of the 21st century, as Angier's need to beat Borden escalates the feud to some incredibly disturbing ends.

Up to this point, a lot of critics and viewers alike didn't really take Jackman seriously as a Real Actor, knowing him mostly for the likes of Swordfish, X-Men and Van Helsing, but his agonising portrayal of Angier absolutely proved that he had much more to offer.

That's just one half of the character, though, and Jackman's almost overwhelming charisma also made him perfect for the role of a showy magician, while topped with the rich psychology that defines most of Nolan's better films and characters.

This isn't just an underrated performance, but an under-appreciated protagonist in the director's filmography.