Impressive, but not the best.

Rating: 8/10 (12 April 2010)

There have been many comparisons made between The Illusionist and The Prestige, and understandably so. They were released not very far apart. They both deal with magicians, and pushing the boundaries of what is considered illusion and what is considered real. Both of them have solid casts (though I do wish that Liv Tyler would have kept Jessica Biel's role), captivating stories, and twisting plots. But while The Prestige is one of my very favorite movies, I only consider The Illusionist to be a good one.
The plot of The Illusionist is simple, it's basically a love story. There are some incredible moments sprinkled throughout the narrative, and a few particularly memorable parts that stand among my very favorite scenes in any movie. I almost felt a sense of wonder akin to the audience members at Eisenheim's shows. But as I said, the story is ultimately a very familiar one. It works well within the context of the movie, but compared to The Prestige, it seems almost pedestrian. The cinematography was amazing, though. I loved the vignette-type style in which the movie was shot.
I have to say, that this is my favorite Edward Norton performance. He captures the mystery and almost sinister potential power of Eisenheim, perfectly. You're almost forced to believe the impossible may be possible, because of Norton's persona. No one else really rises to the heights of Norton's performance, but the other actors still play their roles reasonably well.
The Illusionist is a very good movie, and I think it would have stood out even more, if not released so close to a similar movie that I consider to be superior. The focus on a love story will probably make this even more appealing to some people, than it was to me.