Amazing Movie! A Must See!!

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2007)

The Illusionist is one of my favorite movies of all time, because of the fact that it keeps you thinking and interested throughout the whole thing. Set in late nineteenth century Vienna, The Illusionist it one of those movies with AHA! moments and a mysteriousness that keeps you trying to figure out what's going to happen next. This quote from Herr Eisenheim's assistants summarizes the air of mystery: "Life and death. Space and time. Fate and chance. These are the forces of the universe. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a man who has unlocked these mysteries. From the furthest corners of the world where the dark arts still hold sway he returns to us to demonstrate laws may be bent. I give you Eisenheim." This is a quote makes you look at what Eisenheim's doing, make you believe that he is really doing it, but makes you think of HOW he is doing it, makes you QUESTION the abilities of a person and their will. Herr Eisenheim, played by Edward Norton (The Italian Job, Kingdom of Heaven) plays a magician, or more as the title entails, an illusionist. An illusionist is, by definition, one who uses techniques such as foreshortening to produce the illusion of reality especially in visual art. Herr Eisenheim used his skills to attract the attention of a young Duchess named Sophie, played by Jessica Biel (7th Heaven, Stealth, Summer Catch) who is forbidden to see him. After years apart, they meet again, when Crown Prince Leopold, who is played by Rufus Sewell (Tristan + Isolde, The Holiday, A Knight's Tale) comes with his fiancé, who just happens to be Sophie, to one of Eisenheim's shows, and when Eisenheim asks for a volunteer, the Crown Prince stands and volunteers her. Throughout the rest of the movie, it seems that Eisenheim and Sophie are having a fling, which they are and aren't at the same time. The Crown Prince has Chief Inspector Uhl, played by Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man, Fred Claus), follow them around, keeping an eye on them at all times. What looks as if a sure fire way to get caught, Eisenheim uses his wits, tricks, and thoughtfulness into getting around what everybody sees. What he is planning, from nearly the beginning, isn't what everyone believes it to be. "Everything you have seen here has been an illusion," a quote by Eisenheim, understood to be said for his performance, is much more than that.
This movie could have ruined by the ending alone, but the way that Neil Burger does it is so fluid that it makes it even better than expected. The way that Edward Norton played his part was mesmerizing, you couldn't help but think of what he was planning to do and how he was going to do it. He played his part perfectly, being that during his performances he used a monotonous voice, ultimately using whatever voice needed (sad, excited, or spontaneous). Jessica Biel played her part good as well. It surprised me, because the only shows I've ever seen her on are either adventures or comedies, but this was the first time I've seen here in a drama. She did extremely well, in my opinion, and from what I've read, so do other movie-goers who've seen this film. Giamatti played it well too, as I expected, as he played his role in Cinderella Man very well. Burger made the magic tricks convincing. They're very believable, and they're interesting and really cool. The first time I saw this, I was expecting yet another one of those "predictable" movies, but the way it is set up is exactly as the tagline says: "Nothing is what it seems." It's so captivating, as many times as I've seen it, I still marvel at the way it keeps my attention. I watch lots of movies, and there really aren't many that do that. It's amazing how close this movie is to perfection. You MUST see it!!