Movie Review: The Illusionist

This is your standard love story. Soooo common in fact that you probly have seen this happen with some of your friends. It goes something like this. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl is a Duchess and her family doesnt want her associating with her peasant dog swine boyfriend. Boy is threatened with death if he sees girl again. Boy leaves and travels the world for 15 years, becomeing a master illusionist along the way. Boy returns to find his beloved betrothed to a prince who just happens to be an easy to hate rich prick. Boy gets prince killed and wins the girl. Talk about a Grimm's fairy tale ending huh? Oh, and his name is Eisenheim.

EISENHEIM! aka Ironhome
I am still not sure why they chose that name, but I'll find out. Kinda badass sounding no?

The Good

Edward Norton: Need I elaborate?


Jessica Biel: Obviously this isnt in order of best of the good things first, but still, she wasnt bad. I actually believed she was a real actress when I saw her in this movie. Usually you see her in movies like, "Return to the Black Latrine". But no, real move, real actors, and she was in it. She wasnt bad either.



Paul Giamatti: To come off of a stunning piece like Lady in the Water to this was just a great choice in job selection. After said Lady film, this perspicacious reviewer expected nothing less than a top notch performance. You will be happy to note, your erudite reviewer was not disappointed.


Rufus Sewell: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Hmm.... I mean always the badguy never the hero. But damnit he is a great bad guy! Its so easy to think of him as such a big asshole. He does a pretty good job of it in this movie too. I watched the making of some movie he was in once and they said this guy throws huge orgies or something. Go fig.


Aside from the actors, who were just a great cast, this movie was set in the Victorian period. How cool is that? I know what you are thinking, didnt they wear goofy military uniforms back then? Well yes they did, but we must look past that. The illusions were also most excellent.

The Bad

There were some things which upon cursory reflection look like continuity isssues.

Who was the disappearing old dude? Was he just a tie in to get the kid interested in magic?

How did the sword trick work? When did he have time to get the jewel?

If she was wounded on the left side of her neck, why was the right side of her horse bloody?

Also, what was with Sewel's mustache? He looked like he had a muskrat tail attached to his nose.

The movie isnt full of action, its slower, but still interesting. If you adore movies like XXX you might not get this movie.

The Rating:
I give it an 8. A very strong, well acted, beautifully put together flick.