Thursday, February 01, 2007

Movie Review: The Illusionist

Well I finally had a chance to sit down and watch a movie this past weekend (something quite rare these days, my movie watch list is growing out of control, I don't think I will ever catch up!). Anyway, I've been eyeing The Illusionist for quite some time now, and I have to tell you that this is an amazing movie from beginning to end.

The Illusionist stars Edward Norton as Eisenheim, a stage magician (who may or may not have supernatural powers) who amazes the audiences of 1900 Vienna. He becomes so popular and mystifying that he draws the attention of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold, played by Rufus Sewell.

When the Crown Princes' mistress, Sophie, played by Jessica Beil, assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophi recognize each other from their childhoods. A hidden-away love affair is resurfaced, and the romance continues all the while Chief Inspector Uhl, played by Paul Giamatti, is commanded by the Crown Prince to expose Eisenheim.

Anyway, without giving too much away, many twists and turns are thrown at you and Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet, which was pretty jaw-dropping for me.

I was drawn into the story and characters throughout the entire movie. The acting is captivating (especially Norton, and Giamatti) and the story line unpredictable and very well played out. The Illusionist is a must see for anyone who loves mystery and suspense.

I give The Illusionist a 5/5 - Excellent! I will add this one to my collection for sure. Rated PG-13. Run Time: 1hr. 49min. Release Date: August 18th, 2006.

Until next time, Topher out!

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