Prestige or Illusionist?

The Illusionist- i am a long time fan of the old theatre magicians and have been fascinated by the wave of spiritualism that swept both continents around the turn of the last century. This movie plays off those real life happenings, with the added twist of court and political intrigue. The movie is lush - as a period piece should be - with terrific performances from a true ensemble cast. Edward Norton has the charismatic gaze that makes you believe in every thing he does. Jennifer Biel is tragic and compelling as a woman trapped by society and dubious duty. Paul Giamatti - who seems to be in every other movie these days - is wonderful as a conflicted man unsure of whom he serves. Rufus Sewell, as the Crown Prince Leopold, is that man, and he embodies the boo-hiss villain. Vain and driven, he is larger than life and not one to cross, as the illusionist comes to find out. The music of Philip Glass fits the scenes and add just the right amount of tension. Plus the horses are very old world with large hooves and a heck of a lot of presence. A compelling and beautiful film.

I also liked both quite a bit. The Prestige was more of a crowd pleaser, with the rivalry, etc. but the Illusionist was more subtle, yet also had a strong storyline. I think I liked the Illusionist better, though both were quite good.

A part of me wants to say the Prestige simply because any film in which David Bowie is given a role is excellent as far as I'm concerned, but as far as plots go, I enjoyed the Illusionists romanticism much more than the revenge central angst of the Prestige. I did enjoy them both though. Both of them were fantastic movies.

I haven't seen the prestige yet so I will go with the illusionist.