The Illusionist (2006)

Director: Neil Burger

Screenplay: Neil Burger (based on the short story by Steven Millhauser)

Cast: Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell

Music: Philip Glass

Time: 110 minutes

Bottom-line: Giamatti’s performance stands out

The moment someone says “a film about a magician; came in 2006”, it is very likely that your mind redirects to Chris Nolan’s The Prestige. However, The Illusionist is also about magic, and it also came out in 2006, and sadly, that is probably why it is unrecognised. The film stars Edward Norton as the titular character, with Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell and Paul Giamatti in the supporting roles.

Norton as Eiseheim

1889, Vienna: Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) announces the arrest of illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) for fraud and charlatanism. Uhl then narrates the incidents up to that point, to the Crown Prince, Leopold (Sewell). Eisenheim was childhood friends with Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Biel). Despite their love for each other, they were separated due to the difference in their social classes. Eisenheim went on to travel the world and become a magician, and, fifteen years later, came to Vienna to perform, where he met the Duchess again, now engaged to be married to Leopold. Knowing Leopold’s past incidents of brutality towards women, Eisenheim tried to win back Sophie, but was banished from performing in Vienna. Sophie also admitted to Leopold that she is in love with Eisenheim, and Leopold killed her. Does Eisenheim avenge her death? What events lead to his arrest?

Biel as Sophie

I, for one, have always been intrigued to find out how a magician performs his tricks, rather than enjoying the tricks themselves. That is one reason why The Illusionist didn’t impress me; till the end, the secret of how Eisenheim conjures up spirits (even if they are “illusions”) is never known, and I felt that second half of the plot was too muddled up. The story is nicely set up, with sufficient amount of romance and drama. The scene where Eisenheim publicly humiliates Leopold is the highlight. The plot twist in the end is clever, but there are hardly any hints given to guess it.

Sewell as Prince Leopold

Edward Norton’s acting isn’t that great. He didn’t come off as a showman, especially with his monotonous expression throughout the film (barring a couple of bouts of anger). Biel’s performance was equally dull. Sewell, on the other hand, does really well to play the obnoxious and evil Crown Prince; yes, you will definitely loathe his character! The best of the lot is Paul Giamatti. His character is caught between doing what is just and his personal desire to become Mayor by satisfying the Prince. In particular, I liked the last couple of minutes of his performance, when Eisenheim’s plan finally dawns upon him.

 

Giamatti as Inspector Uhl

The period settings, costumes and the background score make it a treat to watch. The story could have been better, with more emphasis on the magic tricks (though, I did like the bit where Eisenheim explains about how he guesses the correct hand), and I expected more from Norton. In short, if you want a movie about magic, watch The Prestige. If you are a fan of Giamatti, The Illusionist should be on your list.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 74%