The Illusionist
Set in early 20th-century Vienna, a stage magician uses his magic to win back the great love of his life from a brutal enemy, her fiance, who is also the powerful crowned prince of Austria.
22 May 1981, Bronx, New York, USA
1968, Camden, London, England, UK
19 May 1992, England, UK
24 November 1990, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
24 October 1974, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
3 March 1982, Ely, Minnesota, USA
January 16, 2013
Dark, dazzling turns by Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel makes it achingly romantic.
March 27, 2011
If nothing else, The Illusionist is worth watching solely for Giamatti's Oscar-caliber performance.
February 03, 2007
You may be temporarily beguiled, but not fooled.
July 07, 2010
Norton and Paul Giamatti perform wonders, but writer/director Neil Burger ruins the magic, exposing all of his story's tricks by the end.
September 01, 2006
Conjures up a world of mystery, romance and suspense.
February 28, 2007
With exquisite performances (Giamatti's, in particular), it leaves you thrillingly hovering, happily uncommitted to any one interpretation.
September 01, 2006
The story may be less than credible, but the performances are mostly good, and Giamatti makes an especially strong showing.
October 26, 2006
What (director Neil) Burger and his colleagues have done is to entrance us with a richly acted, beautifully produced story.
May 15, 2011
A fond animated farewell to Jacques Tati
January 22, 2010
Unabashedly old-fashioned and fantastically pulpy.
October 18, 2008
The line between truth and illusion is blurred so persuasively that for a moment or two, you may even believe that a romantic costume drama could stand up to all those special-effects blockbusters in the dog days of summer.
July 24, 2010
A wonderful period film first and secondarily an interesting mystery-romance that keeps you guessing about the big questions until late in the narrative.
