rev_f_illusionist

THE ILLUSIONIST
ed norton / paul giamatti

as reviewed by Jack Crompton at Amazon.com, July 18, 2007

The Art of Magic...

This is a great story that blends a fascinating subject matter, romance, clever thinking, interesting, believable characters in a gorgeous storybook setting complete with lighting and scene selection worthy of a master artist. There is no filler... not a moment is wasted.

The art direction has a lot to do with it, as each frame is beautiful to behold. But it's the story that keeps one's attention riveted. The wondrous illusions which Eisenheim (Ed Norton) so confidently and masterful displays are captivating, especially his most masterful illusion of all which the entire film revolves around, but I don't want to spoil it by giving any details.

In a nutshell, The Illusionist is a tale about the triumph of love and true nobility over the fake kind that is passed down in a family lineage. Eisenheim embodies a truly Noble Spirit and does indeed triumph, but only through the most clever of strategies and after putting everything on the line, including his immense love for the Duchess Sophia. Also impressive is the role of the relentless police inspector (Paul Giamatti) who reveals nobility of his own by the film’s conclusion as he decides to stand with the truth rather than further his own selfish political position.

Like most good films, this one deserves to be watched closely, as there are lots of details that all hold relevance. But that is not hard to do, for who would want to miss a single frame of these gorgeously recreated scenes of Vienna around 1900? That alone is worth the price of admission. Great film, flawlessly executed and a ‘must see’ in my opinion.

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