The Illusionist
The Illusionist is one of the most romantic and engrossing films I’ve seen this year. We are thrown into the world of Edward Norton’s Eisenheim as he appears out of nowhere to take Vienna by storm at the turn of the last century with his remarkable acts. But there’s a girl, there are politicans and police at play, so the plot thickens from the opening scene and continues to unfold in an entwining highwire dance to the very last minute of the film. This is a movie about true love. Mr. Norton has an everyman’s knack at making you feel his pain. His accent wobbles slightly but I don’t care. Paul Giamatti plays the police commissioner under the prince’s thumb, and it’s great to see him tee off on a number of projects now that everyone knows and loves him. Mr. Giamatti’s career trajectory reminds me a little of Phillip Seymor Hoffman or John Reilly, a triumvirate of heavy lifting actors whose audiences get lost in their numerous characters. Jessica Biel turns out a lovely performance and Rufus Sewell is the powerfully persuasively pompous prince Leopold. Written and Directed by Neil Burger from a short story by Steve Millhauser. Definite top 10 film of the year, this movie resonates and reminds me that there is such thing as movie magic which might just be around every next corner.
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