Sumptuous Movie.....

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2009)

I really enjoyed The Illusionist. A very well made movie, well acted and a great story. When I first recorded the movie, I must admit I had my doubts as to its suitability for me. I'm not exactly a 'magic man' type of guy to be honest but it soon won me over.
The pace, look and feel of the movie was splendid. A steady pace throughout and the film was shot in a subtle old-fashioned manner which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Edward Norton - as he is normally - is excellent here. His character a long lost love of a Duchess - the beautiful, radiant Jennifer Biel. I had never seen Biel in anything before this - but she is totally believable here and very pretty indeed. Giamatti - as the police inspector - is great too. His demeanour, walk and speech perfectly suited to the times and his position within the society of that era. That era involving the late 19th century Vienna is yet a further character in the story - exquisitely depicted and the attention to detail is second to none.
The name of the film gives the viewer a strong hint that not all is what it seems here and even though I knew something was going to twist, my enjoyment of the film was not stolen from me as I did not predict the ending. Other - more smarter - people I am sure will see it coming but in this instance it is nice to have that little bit of ignorance. There are a couple of plot points that maybe could have been expanded on a tad - to fully drive home the story - but I am nitpicking here.
To me - a superb film with great acting and fabulous sets and a solid story. What more could you ask for? 8/10.