The Illusionist (4 Stars)

This is a fascinating story that takes place in Austria at the end of the 19th Century. The story starts in Hungary, where a young boy called Eduard, a carpenter's son, meets a travelling magician and begins to learn conjuring tricks. He meets the Duchess Sophie von Teschen while she is riding, he shows her his tricks, and they fall in love. But in those days a romance between a pauper and a noble was not allowed, so he leaves to travel the world, studying magic at the feet of the world's greatest magicians.

15 years later he returns and appears in Vienna using the stage name Eisenheim. He dazzles audiences with tricks, and the police inspector becomes a fan of his, watching closely at all times to discover the secret of his tricks. Prince Leopold, a man with ambitions to become ruler of Germany, visits the performances, and we see that his fiancee is Duchess Sophie. The romance flares up again, leading to retaliation from Prince Leopold.

For me the real stars of this film aren't Edward Norton and Jessica Biel, who play Eisenheim and Sophie. Rufus Sewell and Paul Giamatti, who play Prince Leopold and Inspector Uhl, are the ones who dazzle with their on-screen presence. Rufus Sewell, though not so well known, is an outstanding actor. I first saw him in "Dark City", but I find him most suitable when playing a bad guy, such as King Agamemnon in "Helen of Troy". Very few actors are as skilled at playing evil characters. Maybe Gary Oldman, I can't think of anyone else at the moment. Paul Giamatti excels as the police inspector who means well, but has to do what the prince says if he wants to keep his job.

Click here to view the trailer.