Rating  - The Illusionist
Movie condition was great, received it in a timely manner. Love the movie and have watched a few times already.
Rating - An incredible movie!
Really well-made movie. Great script. Excellent actors.
Inspiring magic for magicians everywhere to watch.
Rating  - Though critically flawed, The Illusionist is still a captivating film
For the first half of The Illusionist I sat spellbound, swept up in a beautifully realized world of magic and intrigue. The film's style calls to mind the Albumen prints of the 19th century, with their soft edges and muted sepia tones. It lends the film, which is set in the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian empire, a sense of time and place as well as an atmosphere of mystery. The scenery and costumes certainly convey period authenticity. Old Vienna, with its cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways, grand theaters and resplendent mansions, really comes alive.
Even the picturesque quality of the film could not distract me from the glaring flaws in the story. The Illusionist turns on one pivotal event and resolves with a 'twist ending' that turns this pivotal event on its head. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but the execution, as well as the twist itself, is sub par.
Strangely enough, the ending made me despise the character(s) I should have been rooting for, and pity the character(s) who had been served up as villains.
The acting, for the most part, is excellent. Norton and Giamatti (who plays an ambitious and principled police detective) deliver good performances. Rufus Sewell steals scenes as the arrogant and conflicted Crown Prince Leopold. Biel's performance doesn't disappoint either, although she is badly miscast as a down-to-earth princess as well as Norton's love interest. She's nice to look at, especially in the bosom enhancing dresses they have her wear, and that was probably intended to be her primary function anyway.
Despite its flaws, The Illusionist is a captivating film, at least the first time around. More critical viewers will have no trouble seeing through the pretty packaging on subsequent viewings, so the film will depreciate rapidly. Personally, I think "The Prestige" (which contended against The Illusionist at the box office for "Magic Dollars" ) is a much more solid work, with more staying power.
Rating  - no illusions here-- it's bad
There is so much wrong with the Illusionist I have to start with the two things that are right: first, Paul Giamatti. He does a great job and frankly the only time the movie comes alive is when he's on screen. Second, the character actor playing Crown Prince Leopold's valet. He expresses anguish, shame and shock using nothing but body language and his eyes. Very good. The guy playing Leopold was fairly interesting and can look back on his role here without shame.
Now, what's wrong? Edward Norton, sure he's a great actor but not in this flick. He spends the entire movie looking like he's got hemorrhoids. The flat voice, the stiff ooh don't make the itch and burn start up again walk, the dead eyed stare--- none of that looked like a man in love and there were times when I was laughing at him. Plus his accent weaved in and out worse than Kevin Costner as Robin Hood. Sometimes he sounded like an Austrian and sometimes he sounded like a dude from Idaho.
Jessica Biel is a pretty girl and she really has nothing to do but look lovely in her role but she can't even do that. She seemed like an android. She walked and talked but was completely souless. Her version of Sophie wouldn't turn most men's heads for more than a night, the audience is asked to believe that this bland, stilted creature somehow held a man's heart for 15 years. Nah.
Finally, the big reveal at the end made no darn sense. It was impossible. No good detective would've been fooled, the Romeo and Juliet potion was a cheap trick.
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