The Illusionist was a movie I knew very little about going in, but was drawn to it because of the cast and the fact that it had a magician back in the time when people were truly captivated by magic. Nowadays we have Criss Angel and David Blaine, etc, and it’s cool and edgy, but at the end of the day, we shrug it off as a trick. Back then it seemed like so much more.

Anyway, so Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewel star in this little movie with so so special effects about a magician (Ed) who’s in love with a girl (Jessica) who’s involved with a prince (Rufus) who sends his lackey the police captain (Paul) after him (Ed). Got it?

All in all, the story, which is based on a short story by Steven Millhauser, and adapted for the screen and directed by Neil Burger, is pretty good. I just felt it was a little too long and slow for my ADD / ADHD / OCD bi-polar head.

The cast is really good, but that’s no surprise.
Well, maybe the glorious Ms Biel is a bit of a surprise, but we all know how great msrrs Norton and Giamatti are. I bought Giamatti’s accent more than Norton’s, but maybe that’s just me. Actually it’s probably the most subtle performance by Giamatti in like, forever. Sewell is a little over the top, but just a little, and I guess it fits the character. He’s a great actor too, although he rarely plays the good guy any more.

So anyway, that’s it. Not a bad movie, but just not a great one.