Taking a break from revitalising the Batman franchise, Christopher Nolan and his scriptwriting brother Jonathan have adapted British novelist Christopher Priest’s novel of two competing magicians in nineteenth century London. The pair are Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale respectively, and their contention begins with petty professional rivalry, before the accidental death of Angier’s wife elevates it to levels of fanatical one-upmanship, sabotage and violence.

Never one to tell a simple story, or even a complicated story simply, Nolan jumps between a half-dozen different time periods, beginning towards the end with Borden in prison for Angier’s murder. On top of that, much of the narrative is revealed through Borden reading Angier’s journal, which in turns refers to Borden’s own journal, which Angier stole and … well, yeah, it’s all a bit confusing. But it’s not half as bad as it sounds – certainly nowhere near the headache-inducing narrative contortions of Memento.

The plot really isn’t that complicated in and of itself, and astute viewers will predict most or all of the finale’s twists and turns; but the structure, disorientating in itself, adds a layer of complexity and diversion that fits well with the subject matter. And because this is essentially a film about obsession, the idea of the journals works surprisingly well, and makes the flashback within flashback structure not so much clumsy as a revealing insight into two men who can’t function without the conflict that has destroyed both of their lives and careers.

Both Jackman and Bale are extremely good in the leads, and they’re backed by a strong supporting cast, including some inspired choices on Nolan’s part – nobody could be better suited to play eccentric scientific genius Nikola Tesla than David Bowie, and it’s nice to see stage magician and actor Ricky Jay in a brief cameo. Only Scarlet Johannson lets down the proceedings, continuing her recent trend of being out-acted by passing extras and items of furniture.

It’s the cast, the convincing period setting and Nolan’s consummate storytelling and sly manipulation that keep a potentially ludicrous plot together and on the right side of believability. There are elements that some will find preposterous, including a shift into science-fiction territory that might be viewed as a cop-out or a clever paralleling of science and magic, depending on your standpoint. But, once The Prestige gets going, it carries you along in such a way that it’s only once you get outside that the more wobbly aspects of the plot become apparent. And by then, it really doesn’t matter – Nolan has crafted an intriguing curio laden with hidden depths and subtleties, a thriller as eccentric and unusual as its protagonists, and if it doesn’t quite hold together then it’s no less fascinating for all that.