Old-fashioned movie-making

Rating: 4/10 (29 January 2007)

Lush cinematography and some great visuals, with an interesting but underdeveloped story. The performances are okay, with Giamatti being the clear standout, between Sewell's one-note villain, Norton's lifeless character, and Biel's reduced screen time. The story is pretty good, but can't decide between romance or mystery or both, and the magic scenes - while well done - don't add a whole lot to the story. The ending feels contrived, also, as I'm unsure why the filmmakers felt the need to explain the 'illusion' that was pulled off, when none of the actual magic tricks were explained. Still, this is a very well-made, old-fashioned movie, with great atmosphere and visuals.