While The prestige Is not always listed among Hugh Jackman‘s best movies, the underrated thriller proves that we need the stars to take on more villainous roles. There are few actors I associate with heroic roles like Hugh Jackman. Jackman’s performances as Wolverine cement his status as a legendary screen superhero, but there are many other roles that reinforce his heroic screen persona. His charismatic portrayal of PT Barnum in The greatest showmanBe put on Jean Valjean in Les MiserablesAnd the sweet rom-com heroes of Paperback Hero And Kate & Leopold All prove Jackman’s heroic bonafides.
Related
As if to further prove this point, Jackman’s rare villain roles have included some of his biggest flops. Where Hugh Jackman’s best roles often see him play heroes like Wolverine, 2015’s Pan And the same year Chappie Both saw Jackman take on rare villainous roles. The star had a blast playing the antagonists, but both movies were critical and commercial failures. To me, this reinforced the idea that Jackman’s best bet was sticking to heroic roles. However, one of the most underrated movies from director Christopher Nolan reminded me that this is not necessarily the case.
The Prestige’s Rupert Angier is Hugh Jackman’s best villain role
The Wolverine actor stars as Christopher Nolan’s obsessive magician
The prestige is a complex, morally ambiguous story of two obsessive magicians who set out to destroy each other after their paths cross early in their stage careers. Jackman’s Rupert Angier is a consummate showman who devotes his life to his craft, while Bale’s mercurial Alfred Borden is a working-class magician whose natural talent leads him to dominate the stage. The prestiges twist ending reveals just how much Borden relied on natural talent, while his rival required elaborate stagecraft. Nolan’s movie brazenly reveals that Bale’s character had a secret twin all along.
Angier’s take on the trick involved cloning himself nightly and killing a clone at each performance.
Thus, Borden’s infamous transported man stunt was nothing more than a pair of identical twins swapping places. The illusion cost Borden his personal life, because he and his twin lived as the same person for decades to maintain the illusion. However, the same trick cost Angier his soul and his sanity, driving him to insanity and murder when he tried to replicate the transported human. He eventually succeeded, but Angier’s take on the trick involved cloning himself nightly and killing a clone at each performance. This, along with framing Borden for his murder, makes Angier The prestigeS villain.
Hugh Jackman should really play villains more often
The Prestige showcased Jackman’s considerable range
While Angier is the worst of the movie’s two main characters, Hugh Jackman makes The prestigeS villain a captivating figure. His performance enhances Angier with the same charm as The greatest showmanBarnum and I admired his dedication to the art of magic despite its personal cost. what makes The prestige One of Nolan’s best movies is the movie’s study of the two conflicted characters who, in another life, might have been great friends and collaborators. I was vowed by Jackman to ensure that Angier never feels like a one-note obsessive villain, instead bringing the audience along as he struggles to uncover Borden’s secrets.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how good Jackman’s other villainous roles are. Jackman’s scenery-chomping is the highlight of the otherwise painful Chappie And, while he cannot alone save the misguided PanHe’s the best thing about this weird fantasy/fairy tale/musical hybrid. Meanwhile, although far from a traditional villain, his role in 2013’s prisoners Proved to me that Jackman has range to spare. The star is both sympathetic and scary in the role of a suburban father whose vigilantism gets out of hand with tragic consequences.
We can’t forget how versatile Hugh Jackman is (despite his Wolverine return)
The screen veteran’s career includes more than just heroic roles
It’s easy to associate Jackman with Wolverine himself, and the actor has earned a place in the pantheon of great comic book movie performances. As said, it is important not to miss the star’s chain thanks to the popularity of this role. Wolverine’s hard-edged cynicism is one side of Jackman’s screen persona, but Barnum’s wide-eyed idealism is equally compelling. Jackman’s likable villain Christopher Nolan was engaging thanks to his cold, clinical attention to detail, while I found the misguided antihero of prisoners Fascinating thanks to his hot-headed attitude.
Van Helsing saw Jackman play a more traditionally quippy hero, while 2008’s Australia Proved that the star could headline an old Hollywood melodrama. Jackman has a versatile screen CV, something that the success of both the Wolverine movies and his collaboration with Nolan proves. The star has weathered his fair share of flops, but I’m glad it allowed him to take on a wider range of roles. The prestige showed it Hugh Jackman Still harbors a lot of potential in darker roles, while the rest of his career marks him as one of the great blockbuster heroes.