outstanding film

Rating: 10/10 (23 September 2006)

I was captivated by The Illusionist from the very beginning. A truly beautiful film. Gorgeous cinematography, excellent cast, wonderfully complex storyline. The sepia tones of the opening credits grabbed my attention and I immediately became enthralled in the fictitious yet plausible history of the tale. I can easily see both Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton earning Best Actor nominations for their fine performances. Have either one of these gifted actors ever let us down? And Jessica Biel was very very good. I consider this a break-through role for her. She carried herself well. Her performance was understated~ which only made her character stronger. The musical score of Philip Glass is alluring. A wonderful accent to this rich film experience. Great films don't happen on their own. I'm sorry to say I am not familiar with director Neil Burger's history. But I can assure you that I will be digging in to his past and anticipating his future contributions to the art media of cinema. It has been a long time since I've been this engrossed in a film. I highly recommend The Illusionist.