'Are you watching closely?" The greatest illusion in Christopher Nolan's labyrinthine thriller about feuding magicians in late 19th-century London, is the film itself. The Prestige pretends to be an intricately constructed web of intrigues, a chronologically fractured narrative concealing sleights of hand designed to keep us guessing until the closing frame. Alas, once you look past the impeccable production design and strong ensemble cast - not to mention Nolan's coolly assured direction - his film is nothing but a cheap parlour trick, and an obvious one at that.

Nolan and his brother Jonathan, who co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Christopher Priest, flaunt their ingenuity so brazenly, they unintentionally reveal nearly all of their secrets before the first 30 minutes are up. Consequently, when the film finally deals the numerous aces from up its sleeve, our response is a nonplussed, "Is that it?"

Aspiring magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) learn their craft under the renowned illusionist Milton (Ricky Jay). The two men are plants in the audience, who aid Milton in the spectacular finale by binding the hands and feet of pretty assistant Julia (Piper Perabo) - who is also Angier's wife - before she is dropped into a tank of water, apparently to drown. When the trick goes tragically wrong, supposedly the result of Borden tying the wrong knot, Angier and Borden become sworn enemies, determined to out-do one another by performing increasingly spectacular tricks.

The men's approach to their art is completely different.

Borden lacks charm or flashy presentation, and is devoted to magic in its purest form: "A real magician tries to invent something new, something that other magicians will scratch their heads over," he opines.

Angier - rechristened The Great Danton - has panache and flair in abundance, but is tormented by his rival's superior technical ability.

Caught in the middle is engineer and illusionist mentor Cutter (Michael Caine), who pledges his allegiance to Angier, until his protege's thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. As the men's fierce rivalry wrecks the lives of everyone around them, including Borden's wife (Rebecca Hall) and Angier's new assistant (Scarlett Johansson), the magicians prepare for the ultimate illusion: making the opposition disappear forever. The Prestige is a triumph of showmanship over substance.

Bale and Jackman are both solid but the screenplay doesn't develop either of their characters in sufficient depth; the emotional wounds which drive the performers barely scratch the surface let alone cut to the bone. Supporting players, especially the women, are slaves to the plot mechanics and exist solely to facilitate the various "twists and turns" that Cutter mentions in his introduction.

Director of photography Wally Pfister shoots the squalor of the 19th-century capital in glorious widescreen, plus a brief sojourn to Colorado Springs where Angier meets inventor Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), and the film loses momentum.

First broadcast in autumn 1962, the general knowledge quiz University Challenge gained a cult following during its heyday, elevating mercurial host Bamber Gascoigne to almost iconic status during his 25-year tenure with the show. The beloved battle of young minds inspired David Nicholls's comic novel Starter For Ten, which gained bestseller status through the endorsement of Richard and Judy. The film version, adapted by Nicholls, remains faithful to the hugely enjoyable page-turner, and accomplishes that rare feat of surpassing the source material. Meandering subplots have been tightened, dialogue polished, and the dramatic focus shifted to the geeky hero's pursuit of a romantic ideal.

James McAvoy is scarily believable as a socially awkward 18-year-old, who is ill equipped to woo the woman of his dreams. He brings vulnerability, innocence and immense likeability to his role, representing the dreamer in all of us, who risks humiliation to follow his heart.

It's 1985. Shy Essex lad Brian Jackson (McAvoy) has loved trivia since he was a child. So it seems only natural that he should want to escape his working class roots and dive head first into higher education at Bristol University, leaving behind his tearful mother (CatherineTate) and best friends Spencer (Dominic Cooper) and Tone (James Corden). He settles in quickly at his new digs and signs up for auditions to find the campus' new University Challenge team, captained by the officious Patrick (Benedict Cumberbatch). Brian is instantly smitten with his blonde nymphette teammate Alice Harbinson (Alice Eve), who plans to use the exposure to launch herself as an actress. The two enjoy a brief fling but something seems to be missing from the relationship.

Starter For Ten scores maximum points with its hilarious one-liners and winning performances, including a great cameo for Mark Gatiss as quizmaster Gascoigne. First-time feature director Tom Vaughan, who cut his teeth behind the camera on the television series Cold Feet, doesn't try anything too flashy, concentrating on Brian's accident-prone journey of self-discovery.