Movie Review: The Illusionist

The Illusionist

The Illusionist is another one of those movies that I'd heard reasonably good things about, but which isn't yet (and probably won't be) playing in my small town. Since I was driving some distance to see Hollywoodland, I decided I may as well make a day of it and see The Illusionist as well. I have to tell you that I'm glad I made the choice.

The story of The Illusionist takes place in turn-of-the-century Vienna where modern notions are starting to hold sway, but where old-fashioned ideas of class remain rigid. Edward, a young cabinetmaker's son (Aaron Johnson), loves two things: magic, and a local heiress (Eleanor Tomlinson). While magic tricks aren't a problem, class distinctions doom his feelings for Sophie despite the fact she returns his ardor. Though the youngsters are forbidden to see each other, they manage to get together with some regularity until they're caught one final time and threatened with Edward's — and his family's — death if they dare to continue their forbidden romance.

Edward, despondent at the loss of Sophie, leaves town for any number of years while he wanders the world searching out new and better magic tricks. But eventually, he returns to Vienna where he styles himself Eisenheim, The Illusionist (Edward Norton) and starts putting on shows for a public eager for entertainment. His tricks are so spectacular that his reputation rapidly grows to the point where Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) himself comes to the show. Coincidentally, Sophie (Jessica Biel) comes with the prince as his date and presumed fiancée.

Eisenheim recognizes Sophie when she comes onstage as a volunteer to assist him with a trick. The Crown Prince, meanwhile, knows nothing of his paramour's relationship with The Illusionist. What he does know, however, is that science and logic can explain everything, and he's not happy that audiences are apparently buying into the notion of magic. He invites Eisenheim to a command performance at the palace, and while the select audience is entertained, the Prince is much less so.

Eventually, Sophie recognizes Edward as well, and it doesn't take long for them to discover that their love remains as strong and true as it was when they were forcibly separated for the last time. But the dangers of an affair make their situation impossible. Though Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) has some sympathy for both, he has to do his job and follow the orders that are coming from the mouth of the Crown Prince himself. And those orders could result in death if Edward and Sophie don't resign themselves to their intended roles before it's too late.

Edward Norton, Jessica Biehl, and Rufus Sewell are all quite good in their roles, particularly Mr. Sewell (I hated him with a passion, which only goes to show that I bought into the nasty Crown Prince wholesale — and that's credit to the actor as much as to the character). Norton is a little expressionless at moments of his greatest stress, but one incident that causes him particular anguish is actually painful to watch; meanwhile, Biehl is a very pretty girl and a reasonably good actress as well, and who had enough chemistry with Norton that I believed the match.

But Paul Giamatti is wholly brilliant here. He sounds nothing like I know he sounds; he behaves nothing like the bumbling characters he so often plays so well; and his confusion, concerns, and consternation are flawlessly rendered with a look here and a gesture there. No matter how good or bad the film, I've never seen Giamatti less than great, and he's even better than that here.

Director and writer Neil Burger does a fine job adapting the short story Eisenheim the Illusionist by Steven Millhauser. In some places, the special effects were just a bit lacking, but on the whole, the magic is terrific and the script a solid one. The story itself is a little trite and certainly predictable at times, but the movie is billed as a fantasy as much as a thriller, and it delivers some of both. The characters, of course, are often a little more one-dimensional than I normally like to see, but fairy tales are like that so I'm letting that slide a little, too. As a bonus, the sets are spectacular. I could see the movie again tomorrow simply to get another look at some of those gorgeous rooms and locations!

If I were judging The Illusionist solely on the basis of its overall filmmaking qualities, and was basing that judgment in comparison with movies like, say, Hollywoodland, I'd have to give it a slightly lower rating. But I promised when I first started reviewing movies that I'd do so based on how much I enjoyed a movie, not just on a particularly clever script or creative direction. Let me say that I thought about The Illusionist all the way home — and that it was a relatively long drive. And the whole time I thought about it, I was smiling. I'm sorry, but that overrules any other criteria I might conceivably consider, and I'm going to recommend The Illusionist accordingly.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: The Illusionist is rated PG-13 for "some sexuality and violence." Neither is graphic, but the story is — at least at times — relatively complex, so I think that the PG-13 rating is right. I don't know how much teen-aged boys will enjoy a film at the heart (quite literally, sometimes) is of which is a love story, but teen-aged girls will like it fine, and so will their mothers. A chick flick? Yes, I guess so. But a good one? Yes to that, too.