The Illusionist (2006) - 8 stars out of 10

The Illusionist (2006) - 8 stars out of 10

Despite being released at the same time as the "other" magic movie of 2006 (The Prestige), this movie holds its own with a romantically-focused plot instead of a magic-focused plot.  Edward Norton steps out of his "bad guy" stereotype as a magician searching for a way to win back his childhood (but forbidden) love.  Though it is far from Norton's best performance, he displays his versatility as an actor and his chemistry with the beautiful Jessica Biel brings a certain realism to the film.  More important than the Norton/Biel chemistry is the chemistry of the child actors in the first 15 minutes of the movie - this is VITAL to the understanding of Norton's motivation when we see him as an adult (and also all of the moments that we do not see as he is growing up).  At times, it is difficult to distinguish whether Paul Giamatti or Rufus Sewell is the main antagonist but both put on a fantastic performance throughout.  A few big twists and turns will keep you on edge and wondering how the story can be resolved, though the movie is not nearly as enjoyable the second time since the surprise of the main twist is the most satisying part.  To enhance the drama, Phillip Glass delivers another beautifully dramatic score reminiscent of "The Truman Show."  See this movie but enjoy it the first time because it is never the same after that.