Utterly disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (16 September 2006)

This film lacked ambition. The director seems so determined to make everything as perfect as possible that the film is almost aware of itself. It doesn't take any risks, pull any punches, take viewers by surprise. Even the twist was somewhat predictable and underwhelming, anticlimactic. The Illusionist should have been as mystifying as seeing Eisenheim perform in person. Instead, the result is lackluster, dull, unimpressive. The viewer is almost forbidden to connect with the film on an emotional level. The film doesn't instill the viewer with a sense of wonder, like Eisenheim did with his audiences.
The film's progression is disjointed and the editing shares blame for that--if I had to see one more scene opening with the "iris" cut I was going to vomit. We're introduced to Eisenheim before he is almost arrested. We don't know anything about him and aren't given the chance to be hypnotized by his feats before the film abruptly flashes back to how he became involved in the magical arts. His blooming affection for Sophie zips by on the screen and we don't even get the chance to sympathize with their plights of class separation, or even care when they're forbidden to see each other. At some point in the second act the film slows to a snail's pace. There's not even a moment where the director could have livened things up a bit with some background music (that was a rather bittersweet feeling because I didn't care for the score but I'll get to that later) to maybe create some tension. What unfolds in the film is supposed to be tense and relatively exciting but I didn't perceive it as such because of a lack of music, static camera angles, and monotone actors that sound like they're reading off cue cards. There are several scenes at this point in the film that aren't very cohesive. They don't connect with each other. It's as if the director is saying, "Okay, here's one scene. That's done, moving on the next one. Okay, moving on." It's like reading a poorly written essay where the paragraphs don't flow into one another. The lack of cohesion in this film is so frustrating.
Furthermore, the director seems uncertain of what he wants this film to be. We watch Edward Norton do magic tricks... then it's a story of forbidden love... then it's about a prince plotting to overthrow the empire... then it's about said prince and the chief of police seeking to expose Eisenheim as a fraud... then it's about Eisenheim rebelling against the monarchy. At some points we go so long without seeing the titular character that I began to wonder where the hell this film was going and if I should just give up and walk out. Those subplots weren't given a chance to thrive and some characters are so underdeveloped that we simply don't care about what happens next. If these subplots were more elaborated upon the film could have been almost brilliant.
As for the music, we have yet another repetitive, annoying score by Philip Glass that does nothing for what we're seeing on screen.
And the actors. Miscasting all over the place. Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell, Jessica Biel?! Are you serious? Ed Norton is good but he doesn't command the screen as he should. In the last third or so of the movie all he has left to do is sit on stage and stare intensely. Paul Giamatti can't retain his accent and he speaks with such a soft, monotonous voice that it almost put me to sleep. Come to think, I don't think he spoke above a mumble the entire film. Rufus Sewell was plain awful. That man should not be allowed to have scenes where he is angry and screams at people because he can't. do it. right. We he first blows up at Sophie ("IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ME!!!") I almost busted up laughing. I just couldn't take him seriously. Not for a minute. Jessica Biel isn't bad but she isn't good either. I'm not sure how she got third billing because she's barely in the film. Her character is severely underwritten. None of the actors seemed like they were trying, like they were just reading from cue cards. None of them disappear into their roles and they just come off as celebrities playing a part in their token period piece flick. None of them even attempted to get more out of the script than was written. Too bland, too plain.
I was really looking forward to this film too after a friend of mine praised it so highly. But I was let down big time. Only decent traits were production design, costume design and the cinematography. Not much else to recommend after that. I'd give this one a 5 out of 10 and even then I think that's being pretty generous.