Beautiful, unusual and eminently watchable

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2007)

Is there any acting role that the fantastically talented Edward Norton can't pull off? In "The Illusionist", he takes on the role of Eisenheim, the turn-of-the-century Viennese magician and entertainer who gets caught up in a love triangle. And what we get as an audience is a real treat: A beautifully-shot, superbly acted, mind-bending mystery and love story.
The plot is at once simple and complex. On its face, it's a basic love triangle between Eisenheim, his childhood love, the Duchess Sophie, and her fiancé, who just so happens to be the Crown Prince (and who has a streak of jealousy and a nasty temper). Eisenheim and Sophie reconnect after she attends one of his performances, and the tension builds as the audience is left to wonder how the whole thing will play out.
Edward Norton plays Eisenheim as an inscrutable, mysterious man who can speak volumes with his eyes. Paul Giamatti is a pleasant surprise in his role as the not-entirely-corrupt Chief Inspector Uhl. And Rufus Sewell is a treat as the villain in the movie, Crown Prince Leopold.
The one thing that threatened to ruin this movie for me was the casting of Jessica Biel as Sophie. A lot of people maintain that this movie proves her acting ability; I disagree. She was wooden, cardboard almost, and her performance looked ridiculously amateurish next to the skills of Norton and company. Sorry, guys, I know you might like to look at her, but she can't act.
Besides that, this is a fantastic movie and is highly worth seeing. No, I won't ruin the ending for you, if you haven't been spoiled already. But I will say that, unlike the Sixth Sense, this movie is an enjoyable journey whether or not you see the destination coming.
8/10. Quality.