Illusionist

Review 1 of 9

indenon writes:

Not Rated

This movie stinks to high heaven. Paul Giamatti is so bad he is distracting. Nuff said. Skip it.

Mar 1, 2008 21:57:32

Review 2 of 9

unalien writes:

1of 4 Stars

Poor, poor, poor. This film has about as much imagination and originality as a knock knock joke. What started as enchanting and mystical soon became obvious and flippant. I could see the end coming before the main story began and although Edward Norton is one of my favourite actors I found his accent inaccurate and annoying. What a bore......

Mar 16, 2007 05:06:44

Review 3 of 9

MOVIEMASTER writes:

4of 4 Stars

Rarely do I give movies my highest award. They have to be perfect. This movies was. Brilliantly conceived, well acted, wonderful love story and a bit of a mind twister, even if I did have it worked out about 1/2 through. That's OK when all the parts come together as they did in this work. There just isn't a weak spot. The Prince is princely and evil... we don't have to stretch our imaginations too far for that. The police are corrupt, until finally confronted with what they believe to be incontrovertible evidence. The heroine is beautiful, poised and determined to spend her life with the man she loves, even if it means self destruction. And our hero is a hero of epic proportions. Philip Glass's music, ever so improved from the '80s, is flawless also, if not a little distracting a few times. But like Hermann, he understands how to create tension when necessary and beauty with harmony when that fits the picture. The cinematography is truly remarkable, lending an air of a 19th century daguerreotype photography... with a faded patina, yet crisp, somehow. And the illusions...did I forget the illusions? Of course, we can, today, do so much with holograms. But this is the 19th century and the movie is good enough to make us believe that we are actually watching something in the 19th century. Thus, we are astounded. Watch the orange tree grow. It may not be the most spectacular of the illusions, but it is the most harmoniously perfect. Of course, anyone who loves Bergman will be reminded of "Ansiktet", the Magician. The plot is different, but the reaction of the establishment is not...in fact almost identical. That also, was a great movie and I'm sure that Neil Burger was inspired by it. Bravo, is all I can say. If I had been in a theatre at the end I would have stood and applauded.

Mar 5, 2007 02:50:36

Review 4 of 9

Bsd613 writes:

4of 4 Stars

This is a truly wonderful and much underated film. Bravo!

Mar 4, 2007 15:26:17

Review 5 of 9

Sudds90 writes:

4of 4 Stars

In the "Illusionist" vs. "The Prestige" conflict, The Illusionist was clearly the winner. Edward Norton's performance is what drives the film, dropping hints until it's thought-proviking conclusion. This was one of the few Jessica Biel perfomances that I actually enjoyed. I thought it was interesting that the two lovers were kept apart for most of the film, yet their connection was always hovering over Norton's spectators. Rufus Sewell's character was ruthlessly driven, a performance only he could've pulled off. Paul Giamatti's character was one that the audience could relate to, mainly because we were as clueless as he was a times. A warning to impatient watchers, don't read any spoilers. If you get one clue, you've basically figured out
(and spoiled) your viewing experience.

Jan 31, 2007 07:20:18

Review 6 of 9

LuciaLoosh writes:

4of 4 Stars

I have not so thoroughly enjoyed a film in years. It's a "period" piece that's neither overly stylized nor overbearing. Each scene reminded me of an exquisitely painted canvass. Twice I found myself on my feet, waving my arms about feeling, absolutely, delighted at how clever the mystery was unfolding. Luckily, no one was seated near me. I give this film a 100 Stars. Bravo!!

Oct 28, 2006 17:13:26

Review 7 of 9

Orelinde writes:

4of 4 Stars

This movie is excellent. The actors are all fantastic and play out their characters with heart and grace. The plot is quite good, the twists and turns are unpredictable and the environment surrouding it all (countryside, old European cities, etc...) is beautiful. I enjoyed it very much and recommend this movie one hundred percent.

Sep 13, 2006 05:33:42

Review 8 of 9

rhpositive2002 writes:

4of 4 Stars

We need more movies like this. It's smart, interesting and the guy gets the girl in the end. Good triumphs over evil. Plus it's based on science fiction written 16 years ago. It's all good.

Aug 21, 2006 06:34:26