An illusion and not an illusion, both

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2007)

Comparison between "The illusionist" and "The prestige" is almost inevitable. They are in fact quite different  Prestige focuses much more on magic than Illusionist. I have commented on Prestige elsewhere and will concentrate on Illusionist here.
After an attention-grabbing opening scene, the first half of the movie, through traditional flashback and linear narration, is a familiar rich-girl-poor-boy yarn, so traditional that it threatens to be banal but for the good acting. After being torn apart for 15 years, the childhood friends (not quite sweethearts then) re-encountered  Sophie (Jessica Biel) of a noble family now about to be married to a crown prince (Rufus Sewell) while Edward (Edward Norton) has established himself as Eisenheim the fast rising magician that captures the fancy of the Vienna audience at the turn of the century. While considerable screen time has been given to Eisenheim's career as a magician, the focus up to this point is on how Sophie and Eisenheim's old friendship has been rekindled into romance and how the crown prince is obviously the obstacle.
At the mid-point, however, the tone of the movie take a rather abrupt turn, giving it a new life, as a dark mystery with also a supernatural flavour. Eisenheim's magic becomes the obsessed focus of both the audience and Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) who tries to unravel its mystery. After some twists and turns, however, the final revelation brings the audience to a realisation that this is a rich-girl-poor-boy story after all. Here lies the clever sleight-of-hand, in the very structure of the movie itself. It's not particularly convoluted, and more seasoned audience can probably see the ending twist coming. There are also, not unexpectedly, plot holes, as a water-tight plot is very difficult to come by. (The screenplay is actually got a nomination for an award). However, none of this stops the movie from being vastly entertaining, with a satisfactory conclusion. The whole thing is an illusion, and not an illusion, both.
Giamatti's role as the chief inspector does not seem to be terribly demanding at first glance, but that is the pivoting role. The story is told mostly from his POV. We need a solidly reliable anchor (perhaps like a Watson in a Holmes story although I'm not sure if it's a really good comparison) and Giamatti fills that role admirably. It's become almost blasphemous in the movie world to criticize any performance by Edward Norton, but this actor, who can play just about any role thrown at him, does deserve the distinction. His enigmatic Eisenheim is no exception. Jessica Biel, with her track record in modern-day vampire-combating and super jetfighter piloting, is surprisingly convincing in her role as a period elegant noble lady, pouting-lips charm and all. Equally good is Rufus Sewell who made a recent appearance in "Paris, je t'aine", in a delightful segment playing against Emily Mortimer.