Intelligent suspense.

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2007)

This wonderful story is brought to life by a very good cast. The story itself is loosely based in the real-life mystery of Crown Prince Rudolf's suicide, which rocked the Austrian Hapsburgs in 1889. He was thirty-one. His suicide followed the violent death of his female lover, Baroness Vetsera. There is ongoing debate as to whether he murdered her and then committed suicide, or whether they were engaged in a suicide pact, in response to an edict from Rudolph's father, Franz Josef, the Austrian Emporer. It has been called the Mayerling Affair, named for the hunting lodge where the couple had their assignations. The use of real history and its reshaping into an engaging mystery which parallels the real mystery is what is ingenious about the script. Edward Norton is excellent. Perhaps the taciturn nature of his character enhanced his performance. Jessica Biel is also very good as the Countess. Paul Giamatti puts in another great performance as the police inspector. The only thing that bothered me was the sepia palette of the film. While it contributed to the credibility of the illusions, it was a bit too brown and dark at times, when contrasted to the scenes which were brightly lighted. A minor complaint. The sets were delightful. I could feel the heat from the real gas lights. Overall, this is one of the best period mystery-suspense films I have seen.