Blows Most of the Year Away

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2007)

There are not many films from '06 that can be considered even equal to this fantastic achievement. A masterful tale of deceit, mystery, intrigue and, of course, love, "The Illusionist" is delivered seamlessly through the work of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.
Norton, once again, proves his worth as a lead-- his performance in this movie is as memorable as several performances from his past (I'm thinking of "Fight Club" and "American History X", most specifically).
Rufus Sewell and Jessica Biel deliver strong supporting appearances as the foil and love interest, respectively, and as previously stated Giamatti offers a marvelous turn as an inspector torn between duty and personal beliefs.
9/10.