The Illusionist

I had to go and hunt up a copy of this as when I caught it over Christmas I somehow missed the end and of course there is where all of the real action is. I certainly found it odd to see two movies dealing with magicians released back to back as was the case with this and THE PRESTIGE and for my money THE PRESTIGE is the better of the two though they really should not be compared. In THE ILLUSIONIST we see similar elements true, but the love story in more out in the open, the magic being merely a means to let the story unfold. Edward Norton once again delivers an amazing performace as does Rufus Sewell and even Paul Giamatti manages to pull off a role without being an annoying twit. Jessica Biel was a little light for my liking as the female lead but even that can be overlooked because the overall feel and scenics of the film are grande enough to sweep you into the tale of the past. I wouldn't recommend is as a double bill with THE PRESTIGE but along with another romance it would do just fine.