"Perhaps there is truth in this illusion."

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2007)

Welcome to a world where nothing is what it seems. Welcome to a world where anything is possible. In short, welcome to turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna. In an era of vivid imagination and an unwavering enthusiasm for making the impossible happen, the stage magician is king. Eduard Abramovich, aka Eisenheim the Illusionist (Edward Norton, 'Fight Club'), is considered perhaps the greatest of them all, capable of numerous sensational magical tricks beyond belief; illusions so remarkably convincing that the audience truly believes that what they are watching is "real magic."
But, as we knew they must, Eisenheim's miraculous exploits have acquired him an enemy, and a powerful one at that. Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell, 'Dark City'), who considers himself a rational man, finds himself utterly baffled by the magician's tricks, and he promptly orders for Eisenheim's performances to be shut down. To add more complications to their frictional relationship, Leopold has plans to marry Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), who was Eisenheim's childhood lover, though class restrictions tore their relationship apart. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti, 'Cinderella Man') does his best to uncover the mystery surrounding this enigmatic performer.
The year 2006 brought with it two exemplary examples of riveting film-making, both, curiously enough, concerning magicians in turn-of-the-century Europe. Christopher Nolan's 'The Prestige' premiered on October 17 to immense commercial and critical acclaim, amazing its audiences with a superb acting cast, brilliant art direction and a complex and twisting story of magician rivalry that had everybody talking for hours after the credits had rolled. Neil Burger's somewhat less publicised 'The Illusionist' had premiered on April 27 at the Newport Beach Film Festival, followed by a limited release that was later expanded. Having now seen both films, it is my absolute pleasure to declare that neither of these films appear to have been produced merely to profit in the other's wake  both films tell distinctly separate stories in different ways, and, above all else, both are fantastic cinematic accomplishments.
The first thing you'll notice about 'The Illusionist' is how beautiful it looks. Dick Pope's Oscar-nominated cinematography brilliantly evokes time and place. Filmed with a brownish hue, with faded edges and employing old-fashioned iris wipes, the film even somehow manages to look as though it was filmed one hundred years ago. Composer Phillip Glass' soundtrack, likewise, is haunting and beautiful.
In order for the story to have maintained its credibility, solid acting was a necessity, and the cast does not disappoint. Edward Norton lends his character  a man of few words  a suitably mysterious aura. Eisenheim is a man who is always in control, regardless of whether his "magic" is genuine or not. Paul Giamatti is brilliant as Inspector Uhl, a man conflicted by his loyalties to Crown Price Leopold, and similarly entranced by Eisenheim's elaborate illusions. Rufus Sewell is convincingly unlikable as the corrupt Leopold, who is frustrated and embarrassed by his inability to decipher Eisenheim's magic, and so commits himself to destroying the magician's art. Jessica Biel is elegant and beautiful as Sophie, a strong-willed woman who lends a certain softness to the screen.
'The Illusionist' was adapted from Steven Millhauser's short story 'Eisenheim the Illusionist,' and Norton's character was loosely based upon a real-life 19th century magician, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871). During my research, I was fascinated to discover that the "orange tree" illusion depicted in the film was, in fact, performed by Robert-Houdin during the 1800s. This remarkable illusion was an automaton, controlled by pedals and wires. In the original magic trick, in order to create the deception that the orange tree was blooming, genuine oranges were driven in points and remained hidden by foliage with spread open at the required moment. Flowers were concealed in small tubes, and became visible at the activation of a pedal. The illusion of flying butterflies carrying a handkerchief between them was accomplished using artificial insects mounted on invisible steel wires.
Part of the charm of 'The Illusionist' is that it doesn't really take the time to explain how the various illusions were achieved, or even if they were, in fact, illusions, and not real magic. The film leaves the ultimate decision to the audience, which, if you ask me, is treating us with considerably more respect for our intelligence than many other films often do. Magical, beautiful, memorable here are three words that still don't quite do this film justice.