The Illusionist Review

I hadn't seen or heard anything about The Illusionist until the day I was asked to go see it and I think I like it better that way. I had no preconceptions, no doubts, no expectations for the movie. But even if I did have expectations for it, I guarantee they would have been exceeded.

Plot: In Vienna at the turn of the century, Eisenheim(Edward Norton), an accomplished magician, uses his abilities to catch the eye of the beautiful Sophie(Jessica Biel). The only problem is Sophie is engaged to the Crown Prince(Rufus Sewell). Eisenheim must find a way to capture her heart.

Edward Norton is magnificent in The Illusionist, along with Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, and Paul Giamatti who all put in spectacular performances. The story is so captivating you'll forget that you're even watching a movie. Without knowing anything prior to seeing this movie, I had an open mind and was truly moved by the story. It almost seems as if something like this could have actually happened. Not only are the acting and directing amazing but, the actual magic tricks that Norton's character, Eisenheim, performs are great to watch as well.

There's not really a whole lot more to say about this one except for it's one of the best movies I've seen in the last few years. If you're looking for a movie that you and your boyfriend or girlfriend can enjoy together, or just looking for something with a fantastic story that you can really get into, this is definitely the one to get.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some sexuality and violence)

Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes

Rating(out of 10): 9

Side Note: Even though this has a PG-13 rating, and is about magic tricks, people under the ages of 16 probably won't enjoy it that much.