Beautiful to watch, engaging and unique, well-acted

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2006)

Having just seen this at the Seattle International Film Festival, I can say I went in with very few preconceived notions (not having read the reviews from Sundance), and left feeling like I'd just watched something particularly beautiful and unique, with an ending that made me ask questions about what I'd been seeing all along. Some will say it's predictable; perhaps it's just me, but I bought in to it for the ride and felt the payoff at the end was compelling and justified.
Neil Burger recreates the wonder that we all feel at watching a great magician - is it really an illusion, or is there something else going on? That drives much of the movie, pushing through several subtexts of romance, monarchical intrigue, and societal class system flaws. Beautifully shot, and well acted. Paul Giamatti, as always, is wonderful, and surprisingly good was Jessica Biel, whose Sophie is truly mesmerizing in her devotion to her childhood friend and need to break out of the societal role in which she feels trapped. That friend, Eisenheim, played excellently by Edward Norton, is equally devoted to her and will stop at nothing to see her find what she's looking for. And by the way, it's so good to see Rufus Sewell in period costume again as the questionably ethical Crown Prince Leopold.
All that being said, it's not perfect. The varying accents and occasionally stilted dialogue make it hard to understand what's being said. But all in all, a real delight.