THE SYNOPSIS Vienna, Austria, 1900. The brilliant magician Eisenheim (Norton) is to be arrested by Viennese Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) for conjuring up spirits on stage during his performances--under orders from Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell) himself. Through flashbacks, we learn that Eisenheim was a promising young magician who fell in love with the lovely young Dutchess Sophie--but was forced away by the establishment due to her betrothal to Leopold and Eisenheim’s lower social stature. Fifteen years later, now an enigmatic magician, Eisenheim sells out every one of his performances and attracts the attentions of a now-mature Sophie (Biel). Still engaged to the cruel monarch, she becomess re-smitten with the magician and they begin a secret love affair. Sensing competition, Leopold sics Inspector Uhl on the magician. Uhl is not a cruel man, but must follow orders--though he respects Eisenheim and his talents. Jealousy leads to anger; anger leads to rage; rage leads to murder. Sophie. Eisenheim is heartbroken while Leopold denies involvement in the deed. Uhl now has to solve a murder on top of everything else! A while later, Eisenheim returns to the stage with the power of spirituality and mediumism. He conjures up the ghost of Sophie--who proclaims that leopold murdered her. This is grounds for anarchy! Will Uhl make the right decisions? Is Leopold a murderer? Or is it all just an illusion--with Eisenheim one step ahead of everyone? Lastly, can he really raise the dead? THE CRITIQUE As the first magic-themed movie of 2006, THE ILLUSIONIST executes a terrific trick out of thin air--it entertains (the second magic-themed movie is, of course, Christopher Nolan’s equally-terrific The Prestige). Since there’s so much to say about this $16,500,000 movie, I shall break down my comments into categories: Acting This movie is all acting. It’s the kind of picture that actors/actresses crave to work on for experience, accolades, etc. Everyone in this cast is uniformly terrific. As lead performer, Edward Norton showcases his versatility in the role of the Austrian magician Eisenheim. Tricked out in period costume, fluffy dark hair and a wicked goatee--he all but disappears into the role. And just how wicked is that goatee? It should get its own acting credit--because it rivals the equally-wicked Van Dyke goatee that Roy Scheider wears as Bob Fosse’s cinematic alter-ego Joe Gideon in the brilliant All That Jazz (1979). That’s how wicked! Another terrific (if low-key) performance belongs to acting staple Paul Giamatti, whom I call the male Julianne Moore--because both have been snubbed by Oscar© for far too long! Bringing some depth into a role that essentially makes his Inspector Uhl a lackey for the moustache-twirling villain (more on that in a moment), Giamatti makes the role his. And yes, he also has facial hair--but not as expressive as Norton’s. The moustache-and-beard-twirling villain Crown Prince Leopold is played by terrific actor Rufus Sewell--who embodies the Teutonic monarch with a cruelty and curtness that would make any Kaiser proud. In regard to his facial hair, Sewell’s is severe, dark and probably shellacked! Just for the curious, elements of his character are based on the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf, son of the 19th century Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef. Though having no facial hair whatsoever, young, beautiful and talented actress Jessica Biel also turns in a maturely-nuanced and low-key performance. Of all the Jessicas in Hollywood (Biel, Simpson, Alba...and God knows how many more), she’s my favorite. And sexy too. Direction/Screenplay Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser short story Eisenheim The Illusionist, the movie was written & directed by Neil Burger (2002’s sinister Interview With The Assassin). For a sophmore effort behind the camera, Burger does an impeccable job realizing the story and drawing solid performances from his talented cast. Burger’s screenplay plays out in a fragmented style called in medias res--where the action starts off in the middle of the plot, and then jumps back-and-forth via narrative flashbacks--a similar plot device used in such movies as Pulp Fiction and The Usual Suspects. Thanks to him, the historical-fiction-style script and (in a larger sense) the movie does not pander to ADD-riddled audiences and unfolds in a precise & mysterious fashion that leaves those of us who stick around to the end a satisfying conclusion. BRAVO! Cinematography Even better is the velvety, golden-hued cinematography by veteran English DP Dick Pope (Man Of The Year/Vera Drake/Secrets & Lies). From what I understand, many of the VFX were performed in-camera and are executed quite nicely. Further reading (thanks to American Cinematographer) divulges that Pope & Burger had extensively-researched the defunct Autochrome photography process of the early 20th century to get the attractive look that is so prevalent on the screen. I must say, eloquent compositions & lensing kick this production up several notches. Again, BRAVO! Production Design/Locations Praising more of the mise-en-scene, I really did appreciate the elegant production design by Czech artisan Ondrej Nekvasil (Emmy©-winner for MFTV’s Anne Frank: The Whole Story). Mostly-shot on his sets, the show also made use of its Czech Republic locations--which stood in for 1900 Vienna. All, top-notch work that should get a nod around Oscar© time. Ediiting/Costume Design/Score, etc. Prosaic editing by Hotel Rwanda cutter Naomi Geraghty, sumptuous costumes by Oscar©-winner Ngila Dickson (Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King) and an sweet, evocative score by New Age stalwart Philip Glass (The Reaping/Kundun/The Thin Blue Line) round out the proceedings. All facets are tops. I really can’t say anything negative about this low-key movie, other than that it won’t pander to those viewers who have little patience for good storytelling. But the pace builds on a crescendo that culminates in a solid climax. THE BOTTOM LINE My goodness: an old-fashioned movie! An interesting mystery-thriller that does not resort to using fake-looking CGI, fancy SFX or hyperkinetic editing. Easily recommended for those who enjoy quality cinema. Like me; and that’s no sleight-of-hand! CAST: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell & Eddie Marsan CREDITS: Director/Screenwriter: Neil Burger, based on a story by Steven Millhauser; Producers: Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, Cathy Schulman; Director of Photography: Dick Pope; Production Designer: Ondrej Nekvasil; Editor: Naomi Geraghty; Costume Designer: Ngila Dickson; Music: Philip Glass AC/V 2006 109m ENGLISH prestige.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Fossealllthatjazz.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Prince_Rudolfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenwriterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_directorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_reshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashbackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenplayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_camerahttp://www.theasc.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autochrome_Lumi%C3%A8rehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_Scenehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_designhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editor#Film_Editorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_scorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-generated_imageryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editingshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_25shapeimage_2_link_26