More like this please!

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2007)

The Illusionist is also a bit sluggish, sort of like a complicated magic trick building to its climatic conclusion. It starts at the turn of the century, when mysterious stage magician Eisenheim (Edward Norton) arrives in Vienna and begins performing his astounding illusions. He arouses not only the curiosity of the people, who believe he has otherworldly powers, but of the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), an unsavory fellow who'd like to prove the man a fraud, especially after he witnesses a budding attraction between his beautiful fiancé, Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), and the magician. What Leopold doesn't know is that Eisenheim and Sophie were once childhood sweetheartsand now that they've reunited, a dormant and forbidden love affair has been rekindled. Now it's up to Vienna's shrewd Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to uncover the truth, charged by Leopold to intensify his efforts to expose Eisenheim. With Uhl doggedly pursuing the man behind the magician, Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet.