The Illusionist
You can’t talk about Neil Burger’s The Illusionist without talking about The Prestige. Both are recent films about stage magicians, defending their secrets and plotting revenge – and both are period pieces. We can only take magic seriously if it’s a hundred years away. (Contemporary magic’s representative? Gob from Arrested Development performing to Europe’s “The Final Countdown.”)
But while The Prestige savoured its bombastic twists and turns, The Illusionistis a much quieter affair. The scenes of magic are filmed simply, retaining their mystery, and the story itself is quite simple – Eisenheim the Illusionist offends the ego of the abusive Prince ofVienna, and they struggle for the love of Eisenheim’s childhood sweetheart with trickery, politics, and violence.
Even Edward Norton’s usual “look at me! I’m acting! I’m acting so hard!” technique pays off. (As a magician, he’s meant to exude a certain artifice, right?) But – like so many other films – The Illusionist belongs to Paul Giamatti, whose effortlessly rich and charming performance convinces you he believes in magic with just his grudging smile.
Format: Cinema
Mood: Smarts
Keywords: Neil Burger, Edward Norton, Magic
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