The Illusionist

THE ILLUSIONIST

Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser, THE ILLUSIONIST is a beautifully crafted motion picture. All facets of the filmmaking art come together in a delicious tale of magic and morals. For those of you hungry for an intelligent and rewarding cinematic experience, THE ILLUSIONIST is a must see. It's like pulling rarebit out of a hat.

Edward Norton's trademark intensity works to his advantage in his portrayal of the enigmatic Eisenheim, a master illusionist who has risen to become the greatest magician in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Eisenheim's magic tricks not only evoke a sense of wonder, they also seem to embody the ambiguities and the uncertainties of a new century. Each sell-out performance brings more fame and fortune, but these rewards are of little consequence. What Eisenheim wants most of all is to win the love of luscious Dutchess Sophie von Teschen, portrayed by the absolutely stunning Jessica Biel in her best on-screen performance to date. As film critic Richard Propes wrote, "It's no illusion. Jessica Biel can really act!" I concur.

Standing in Eisenheim's way is the powerful, corrupt Crown Prince Leopold, played by Rufus Sewell, who has designs on the Dutchess as well. As Eisenheim soon discovers, Leopold is a more than worthy adversary. Where THE PRESTIGE was about obsession and revenge, THE ILLUSIONIST is about love.

The real star of this show, however, is the incomparable Paul Giamatti, who serves as our guide and narrator while playing the part of Chief Inspector Uhl. Interestingly, Paul Giamatti is the son of A. Bartlett Giamatti, the late President of Yale University and the nemesis of Pete Rose (thank you, sir) when he served as the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. His son has been quoted as once saying, "I don't consider myself a very interesting person. I have the mentality of a supporting actor." Well, if that's what it takes, so be it. Paul Giamatti has been called "America's greatest supporting actor." Once again, I concur. Wholeheartedly. Without reservation. No one else comes close. You get the idea...


What makes THE ILLUSIONIST unique is Director/Screenwriter Neil Burger's carefully orchestrated cat-and-mouse game between the illusionist and the police officer. Each of these men are extremely clever and likeable; we cannot help but root for both in equal measure. To ultimately satisfy the audience's affection for both of these conflicting characters is a significant accomplishment that few other movies have attempted, much less achieved.

Enhancing the solid screenplay that combines intrigue, mystery, murder and an underlying meditation on the seduction of power vs. the power of seduction (in this case, it is magic), THE ILLUSIONIST possesses top-notch production values throughout.

Cinematographer Dick Pope was nominated for an Academy Award, deservedly so. His faded watercolor patina captures the glorious elegance of 1900 Vienna. (I should add that the film was actually shot in Prague, a more than adequate substitute). Philip Glass' score is perfect; it is easy to see, yet again, why he is one of today's top composers.

The impeccable production design by Ondrej Nekvasil and the stunning costumes by Ngila Dickson are also worthy of special mention as is Technical Consultant Ricky Jay, one of the world's most accomplished sleight-of-hand performers as well as a respected historian in the field of magic and the "dark arts." Accordingly, many of the illusions in THE ILLUSIONIST are "real" (or as real as magic gets) in that they were done without the aid of studio special effects wizards or computers. In fact, the producers claim all the tricks shown on screen are period-accurate to the last detail. Amazing, and positive proof that tricks are not just for kids...

Robert A. Nowotny

Last updated: 2010-04-07 03:10:01 by user07

The Illusionist (2006)

**
USA

With a German poolboy's accent and screen presence, Edward Norton creates CGI-assisted optical illusions and wows turn-of-the-century Vienna. But really none of his fame and fortune can satisfy the void left by his first love - taken from him before he reached puberty and brought back over a decade later in the stacked shape of Jessica Biel, promised though she may be to a powerful and psychotic aristocrat. After all this time and volumes of acquired wisdom, muses Norton, "The only mystery I have never solved is why my love for you can never stop." It's how he talks throughout the movie.

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The Illusionist — 10

Now when I first saw this movie I had never seen a preview for it, I never knew what was going to happen, I had no idea what it was about, I knew absolutely nothing going into it. And like my past experience have show me that going into a movie expecting nothing usually turns out to be a great experience. This was actually one of those occasions where the movie was so great it wouldn’t have mattered if I knew what I was going into or not, it was downright phenomenal.

Starting off with the cast, this movie had an all star line-up. Starting with Edward Norton is easy, he is a genius in whatever role he plays. He can play anyone and anything convincingly. This role was no exception. Paul Giamatti is an odd actor to me, some roles he seems to love and the others he hates. You can usually tell in how good he acts. In this movie his acting was superb. It was so spot on that I was actually convinced that the events of this movie actually took place. Then we have the heroine Jessica Biel, I am not a big fan of her at all, but just like Paul Giamatti she pulled the role off gloriously. There was superb acting all around in this film and that is probably why I like it so much.

Now the story was one of those that when you sit down you are curious, and the story drags you in to the point where you cannot look away, you cannot blink, you do not dare get up and go to the bathroom otherwise you will miss one of the most crucial scenes. This movie literally drags you along and never lets its grasp up even after the film is done. It is an exceptional masterpiece of a story and the cinematography helps pound that into you even deeper. It was 100% glorious from start to end.

The music fit so well it was hard to even notice it was there. It fit the mood perfectly, and maybe even enhanced the whole movie. I would say that I loved it, but none of it stuck out, it blended in that well, just like it should have.

The other thing to bring up is this movies slight references to Romeo and Juliet. There were quite a few things that actually paralleled this movie to the great Shakespearian play that I will not reveal or else it would ruin the story, but the references are there and once you notice them, they stick out like a sore thumb. Either way with or without the references the movie is still awesome!

All in all I shun you if you have not seen this movie, yes I would understand since this movie was not heavily advertised but considering that the movie is now 4 years old, I think now is the time to buy it for a loved one.

Base Score = 9
+1 for an amazing list of actors
+1 for great acting all around
+1 for amazing visuals
+1 for great music
=13/10

Last updated: 2010-01-12 02:04:53 by Tolll