Fantastic.

Rating: 10/10 (29 March 2008)

I knew this would be brilliant from the moment I heard of it, and lo, it is brilliant, no more or less than I had expected. It might not equal the unrivaled charisma and power of The Prestige, but The Illusionist is a brooding, sorrowful tale of magic, treachery and love in itself.
Ed Norton does a typically excellent job, as do Jessica Biel and Paul Giamatti, and the atmosphere is dark and, at times, unrelentingly aggressive and angry, despite the tragedy that seems to coat it all. The story pulls you in right from the start, and it doesn't let up for a good 2 hours or so, twisting and turning like an uncoiling serpent. Get this one if you like good cinema.