The Prestige

Mayors win a thriller for another BDFL title

LONDON - The Prestige is a 2006 science fantasy mystery psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. It follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, once friends who develop into rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century. Obsessed with the idea of a perfect teleportation trick (The Transported Man), they engage in a bitter rivalry with tragic results. The opening monologue describes the three acts of a magic trick, while also cleverly foreshadowing the structure of the film. The first act of a trick is "the pledge" and it shows you something ordinary. The second act is "the turn" and it makes the ordinary do something extraordinary, such as disappearing. The third act is called "the prestige" and it brings the object back, or in this case, the person who has disappeared. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine and David Bowie. The Prestige was released on October 20, 2006, to positive reviews and grossed $109 million worldwide against a production budget of $40 million. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. Bowie's portrayal of Nikola Tesla was Academy Award nomination worthy. In the 1890s London, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale) work as plants for a magician under the mentorship of stage engineer John Cutter (Caine). During a water tank trick, Angier's wife, Julia, is unable to unbind her hands, fails to escape and drowns. Angier, devastated, blames Borden for using the incorrect knot, causing her death. When Angier asks Borden which knot he used, Borden claims not to know. The two become bitter rivals and archenemies for which the rest of the movie is all about. The Prestige leaves you with the question, should art be for the love of the craft, or for those who get to enjoy it? The BDFL doesn't rate movies as a rule, but gives The Prestige a solid five-star rating for overall excellence in cinematography, creativity, imagination, writing, directing, acting, plot and suspense. In Week 18 of the BDFL, we had our own share of suspense. Down 14-12 in Big Daddy Bowl XXI to the Shades Creek Sloth Monsters going into Sunday Night Football (SNF), the Magic City Mayors needed some magic. During SNF, the Mayors brought back an elusive repeat as BDFL champions as their astonishing "prestige". On a netural pitch in foggy ol' London, the Mayors used some old-fashioned "mojo" for an amazing come from behind vict'ry to defeat the Sloth Monsters 24-14, capture Big Daddy Bowl XXI and secure the BDFL's Grand Daddy Trophy for a second straight season. Under immense pressure to repeat as BDFL champs, the Mayors basically led the 2022 BDFL season from stem to stern. The Mayors finished the season with a 13-5 record and 588 total points which were both high water marks in the league. Congratulations to the Mayors on their second straight BDFL title and their third overall BDFL championship (2002, 2021 and 2022).

Under Pressure by Queen with David Bowie (1981)