The Illusionist delivers a deceptively inventive costume drama

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2006)

I think The Illusionist is a rewarding gift to audiences who enjoy historical thrillers, procedural mysteries and character-driven dramas. The sepia-toned cinematography for this picture delivers lovely vintage postcard landscapes and cityscapes of 19th century Vienna. The visually stunning illusions performed by the main character are integral to unraveling the murder mystery, and most important of all, Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti turn in well-delineated, but restrained performances that keep the film from being derailed into a Masterpiece/Mobil Mystery television production. Norton's and Giamatti's specific characterizations make this film feel inventive, as opposed to many British costume dramas that feel stagy and barely differentiated from the page. I think the chemistry exhibited between Norton and Giamatti are felt in some of the film's best scenes. Their performances, as well as the film's look, make The Illusionist feel deceptively original, although it is apparently based on a novel. This film has the thrill of Fred Zinnemann's The Day of the Jackal and the romance found in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. These story elements should make the film appealing to a broad spectrum of filmgoers--as was apparent at the screening I attended where there was applause when the credits rolled.