The Art of Deceit

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2006)

A young man of poor origins only known as Eisenheim sits alone in an empty stage, looking blankly ahead at a waiting crowd of which two people stand out: a bespectacled young man and an older gentleman. Both men seem to be observing this moment of silence with supreme anticipation. Almost like angel dust, Eisenheim conjured a ghostly mass that flutters to the right of him and begins to manifest something that causes a massive commotion.
Because Neil Berger's movie THE ILLUSIONIST begins in media res, most of what happens takes place in progressive flashbacks that slowly disclose the beginnings of a passion between two star-crossed childhood lovers. The young boy Eisenheim had become the close friend of the nobly-born Sophie von Teschen at about the same time he had had his first encounter with a wise man who had taught him the secret of disappearance. Due to their social imbalance Eisenheim and Sophie had become separated. Eisenheim then decided to travel the world, but once back in Austria as a young man (the introspective Edward Norton), he was intent of reconnecting with Sophie (Jessica Biel, redeeming herself from London) -- even though she was now engaged to be married to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a marriage clearly borne out of social conventions. His reputation as an "illusionist" begins to take hold, causing an increasing unrest, setting off an investigation initiated by Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) who also comes from a humble background but desires a high social status. Tensions escalate as Eisenheim's presence and ability to fall on his feet reaches a breaking point... and causes the disappearance of Sophie. Working to unravel her assassin, Eisenheim takes the ultimate risk in trying to conduct a séance session -- that takes the story back to the beginning scene as Uhl and Leopold look on in anticipation. His success in materializing Sophie and having her point the finger on her murderer will be the turning point in this clever story of the ultimate deceit.
Neil Berger has made quite a movie. While the trailer hinted at a lot of action and adventure, this is, like the "orange tree" which slowly reveals its fruit, a very tricky unfolding of cinematic tricks that takes its time to reach the final push before the cliff. The way it gets there teeters between the detectivesque and the unconventional, a subtle reference to Agatha Christie stories in which all is not what it seems and sometimes people who are caught under the sign of "underprivileged" must do "tricks" to retain a little of the pie. An enjoyable ride.