Movie Review: "THE ILLUSIONIST"

THE ILLUSIONIST (official site) is a 2006 period drama starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giametti. Norton leads as legendary stage magician "Eisenheim the Illusionist", whose arrival in turn-of-the-century Vienna attracts the attention of both the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold and Leopold's fiancee, the Duchess Sofie von Teschen. Why has Eisenheim, long absent from Vienna, suddenly returned? How does he accomplish his seemingly supernatural illusions? What's his relationship with Sofie, and what is he really after? Watch this trailer for a preview:



Although it takes place in Vienna, much of the movie was actually filmed in the Czech Republic. I didn't realize this at first, but a flashback of Eisenheim's childhood early in the film seemed familiar to me:












The flashback scene on the left was filmed in Krumlov, one of the towns I visited while in the Czech Republic (the photo on the right is one of mine). I went to the top of the tower that Eisenheim is looking at! Here's another example from the movie:












In the film, the image on the left is Prince Leopold's palace in Vienna. However, if you've been to Prague (or have been following my blog), you may recognize it as the main gate to Prague Castle, adjacent to Castle Square. While watching the movie, I knew I'd seen those Fighting Greek Titans somewhere before...

Overall, I enjoyed "The Illusionist" very much. It's a movie that caused me to think, mostly along the lines of "How the heck did Eisenheim do that?", and "What's he up to now?". While it is not a comedy, there are many humorous moments, chiefly from the interaction between Eisenheim and the Chief Inspector (played by Giametti) assigned to investigate him. While somewhat predictable, the superb acting, witty dialogue, and enjoyable plot combine to create a fun and memorable movie experience.