The Illusionist

Eisenheim (Norton) is a superbly talented magician driven by his adolescent love (and loss) of an upper class duchess (Biel). Returning from exile he baffles audiences. His former beau’s relationship with Austria’s heir (Sewell) leads him to attempt his b

Magic seems to be all the rage of late. With The Prestige only a few months behind us, relative newcomer Neil Burger attempts to once more wow us with sleight of hand trickery and illusions that Gandalf might be proud of.

What separates The Illusionist from films like The Prestige is its refreshing resistance to delve into science fiction. There is no reliance on otherworldly powers and the film does not ruin the sense of mystery it takes so long to build by explicitly explaining how the main illusions were done.

Beautifully shot (its was nominated for the best cinematography Oscar but eventually lost to Pan’s Labyrinth), and with an engaging plot and some fine acting performances from Giamatti and Sewell in particular, the film is only let down by the rather clumsy flashback that introduces it, and its slightly bloated length. This aside however, The Illusionist is an enjoyable watch, certainly more Harry Houdini than Paul Daniels.

Sim Eckstein