Eisenheim, the illusionist, sets out to get the girl.

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2007)

I enjoyed this movie a lot, from beginning to end. It has some of the best actors working today, and an intriguing story. However, it is a good movie, not great. Strip away the illusions performed by Eisenheim and the story itself isn't particularly novel. Boy (Norton) from a lower class and girl(Biel) from a higher class want each other, but the social customs won't allow it. Throw in a budding ruler (Sewell) obsessed with power and his puppet constable (Giamatti), and you have the four characters and enough ingredients for a romantic drama.
Set in 1900 Vienna, Edward Norton is Eisenheim (a stage name) the illusionist, an extremely good illusionist. But 15 years earlier as an adolescent he became friends with young Sophie (Jessica Biel), who was taken away. They met again, during an Eisenheim performance, when she was the property of the Crown Prince (Rufus Sewell) who planned to marry her, and to become King, even if his father were not to die soon.
Paul Giamatti has played a number of goofy roles, but here he is a totally different character, Inspector Uhl, who was a virtual puppet. When the Crown Prince took offense at an Eisenheim demonstration, he later told the Inspector, "Shut him down." So, much of the movie involves the Inspector and his men spying on Eisenheim and Sophie, and Eisenheim's attempts at freeing Sophie from the grips of the Crown Prince to allow the two of them to make a life together, the one that was denied them years earlier. What chance does one have, competing against a great illusionist?
SPOILERS. After an argument, it appears that the Crown Prince stabs Sophie, who rides away on a horse and is later found, apparently dead, in a stream. Later, illusions appear to bring Sophie back from the dead and, as they are about to arrest Eisenheim on stage, he is also just an illusion. Meanwhile, caught in a power scandal, the Crown Prince kills himself, Eisenheim gets away, Sophie is indeed alive. A brief set of quick flashbacks show the various deceptions, only the inspector has a hint of what really happened.