Two Victorian-era magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale), abandon their friendship after tragedy strikes during one daring performance. They launch into a determined rivalry that builds into an escalating battle of tricks and an unquenchable thirst to uncover each others trade secrets. There is so much more to it than that but I cannot tell you any more of it for fear of giving away too much.The twists and turns of this tale had me in a constant state of not knowing what was going to happen next. This was quite a welcome and refreshing feeling which made the already interesting story that much more enjoyable to watch. My only criticism is that the female roles needed more fleshing out. Scarlett Johansson was an unnecessary "big name" (I think Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine provide enough star power) whose character either didn't have enough to do, or would have benefited from a lesser-known actor in the role to reduce any expectations.The acting of the primary cast was superb. With no definite heroes or villains in the film I was flip-flopping like a fish out of water as I was torn between who the good guy was supposed to be. Even after seeing the conclusion I'm still not quite sure.'