It's like this: let's make a movie, throw in two amazing actors and one sultry actress, and then let's blend in some mystery, magic, intrigue and a Victorian-era wizard feud business. So have the makers succeeded after deliberating so much in this film? Just like the director himself, Christopher Nolan, who helmed and rebooted Batman Begins quite considerably, certainty was what he lacks the most.
Let's begin with the story: the film follows two magicians, namely, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who both started as apprentices and even bestfriends, and then became rivals, stealing each other's secrets and finally doing their own tricks that will prove who is the best wizard in the 19th century England. Yet behind the magic and silly trickery-follies, there lies a story of obsession, betrayal and dark treachery amongst the audience and also amongst themselves, the main characters. We are being led to believe that both Angier and Borden have their dreams of their own and they share a nifty knowledge about magic, from the very environment they grew up - people being entertained by only a sleight of hand and pulling bunnies from a hat. By this, both of them, wanted to become famous and they became obsessed by the notion of it that the more they do more dangerous and more convincing magic tricks, the more the audience would love them.
Angier has a wife and he had lost her due to a failed stunt in a glass aquarium; Borden has also a wife, yet could somehow realise that he loves his own work more than his own wife - now, the two of them, they try to battle secretly with each other, stealing diaries, decrypting secrets of their tricks and yet trying to mislead each other, destroying each other's show and prestige.
The film is undeniably dark, and what I like most in this film was that apart from delving into the cinematic waves of magic and the secrets behind them, Chris Nolan was able to surface out a wicked story of obsession. That was where the film was really successful on, but sometimes a lot of complexity may befuddle audience. The story was somewhat confusing if you wouldn't really follow quite carefully. I think this is where Nolan is good at: he misleads his audiences. If you would swallow by heart the first sentence of the film "Are you watching closely?", there's definitely a big chance that you would enjoy this film, and try to understand as well why are they doing such things to each other.
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, two of my most favourite actors (as well as I believe that they're the best of their generation today), delivers convincing performances as the feudal magicians, and Scarlett Johansson, although a bit under used, gives her character a cunning twist. But even now, her English accent still haunts me because it's very flawed.
I have tried to asked at the end of the film, was there really depth in the movie? Was it just about two people trying to contest with each other, trying to dethrone each other's pride and dignity? Why were they so obsessed about it?
Without further ado, my questions were answered by the film's major question itself, "Are you watching closely?"
Yes, I did, because if you wouldn't watch closely, you will just become a part of the audience whom Angier and Borden had just tricked and deceived, yet never understand the whole reason behind it all. Watch this with a mature mind.

Rating: B+