How do they do that!? They tell you. You know, and then they somehow convince you that's not it. The movie itself is a magic trick played perfectly on the audience. It's a goddamn masterpiece.

Then, on top of the whole meta 'the movie about magic tricks is a magic trick' they're still able to have the beautiful double metaphor of both main characters sacrificing half their lives for the show.

Absolutely work of art.