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Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan ... see more see more... , Jake Wood , Tom Fisher , Karl Johnson , Aaron Johnson , Eleanor Tomlinson , Brian Caspe , Dusan Fager

A supernaturally talented magician attempts to undermine the rigid social structure of turn-of-the-century Vienna by using his powers to win the love of his upper-class, childhood sweetheart in direct... read more read more...or Neil Burger's cinematic adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser's short story. Though the ill-fated childhood romance between cabinetmaker's son Eisenheim (Edward Norton) and upper-class Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel) eventually resulted in the heartbroken young man leaving Austria to explore the world, his dreams of one day reuniting with the beautiful duchess never faded. Upon returning to Vienna 15 years later as a talented and renowned illusionist, Eisenheim's hopes of a reunion seem dashed when he learns that Sophie is currently engaged to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). As the tensions between the Eisenheim and Leopold elevate, urbane Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) finds his sympathy toward Eisenheim growing, despite his formal obligations to the powerful prince. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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83% liked it

382,715 ratings

Critics

74% liked it

185 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.

Directed by: Neil Burger

Release Date: August 18, 2006

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DVD Release Date: January 9, 2007

Stats: 33,860 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (33,860)

  • brooklynspo
    May 1, 2007
    brooklynspo
    Presto... Sucko!

    This was weird - a pretty bad movie with a half-decent ending.

    Ed Norton was flat and his accent was laughable. Paul Giamatti carried this flick but... alas.
  • phubbs1
    May 11, 2012
    phubbs1
    Its funny, you don't see any films about magicians then all of a sudden two pop up in the same year, how does that work? We had the same deal with 'Dante's Peak' and 'Volcano' also 'Armageddon' and 'Deep Impact'...weird huh.

    Anyhow this magic show is period set as is 'The Presti... read morege' only this time we are in Vienna at the turn of the century. The plot is a mixture of a love story, a who dunnit? and magic all entwined within the rich lavish world of Austrian royalty.

    The film simply popped up out of nowhere and my first impression was a cheap low budget equal to 'The Prestige' which was quite a big hit, I was amazed when it turned out to be such a rewarding film. The cast are all excellent here and fit beautifully into this decadent setting, Norton, Sewell, Giamatti, Biel and Marsan, all brilliant, what more can I say. I probably enjoyed Sewell as 'Prince Leopold' the most with his unhinged delicate state, jealousy and fury in his eyes as he loses the plot.

    The plot is intriguing but does seem to do a 'Usual Suspects' spin towards the end, your average twist which you can sense was coming but fun to watch none the less. The film is a joy to watch simply down to the lovely work on sets, costumes, location and the magic tricks of which the main ones are assisted with cgi methinks which is a shame but still mysterious.

    I guess the whole film or story is suppose to be one big magic trick or illusion really, one big puff of hocus pocus as the main lead wins the day and his love in a swirling mist of deception. Visually stunning, realistic? yes, not bad a tall...I can taste the strudel, superbly well performed and very enjoyable but maybe a little simpler than it was meant to be. 
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    A patient movie that rewards viewers with an interesting mix of murder, mystery, and magic all in one. It's been a while since I've seen this movie but as I could remember from it, its a completely different beast compared to "The Prestige", but yet almost as entertaining.
  • 76Majikat
    November 4, 2011
    76Majikat
    [Rewatch]

    This film gets better every time I watch it. At the time of it's release it was compared so much with The Prestige (and vice versa) that I don't feel I judged this as a film in it's own right.

    Norton plays slick, intelligent and mysterious and gives yet another solid... read more performance, Paul Giamatti must get a mention here though, he stood out in the film and played his role to perfection.

    The thought and details that have gone into the plot and to then reach, (what I consider) to be one of the best non guessable twists at the end makes this film seem more powerful with every watch.
  • flixsterman
    November 1, 2011
    flixsterman
    This one was hampered by the fact that it came out about the same time as The Prestige, another period piece built around the troublesome world of prestidigitation. Both are entertaining but formulaic and rather forgettable.
  • MidnightMadwoman
    October 8, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    I would probably have been a lot more impressed by The Illusionist if I had seen it before I saw The Prestige. I had a taste for really intricately plotted fare about duelling magicians, which is a mistake to expect from this particular work: it's a love story about a magician pu... read moreshed to the edges of his ability by his demanding public. It's a strange and engaging story, but again, Nolan's film gave me a taste for something else, and I was a little disappointed that I didn't get it.
  • rjayhutchinson
    August 14, 2011
    rjayhutchinson
    One of two magic-themed films from 2006, "The Illusionist" is easily less exciting than its counterpart, Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige". Though well-acted and watchable for its length, the film is hardly interesting until its brief, semi-unexpected conclusion. Relying on simi... read morelar plot devices as Nolan's film, this one ultimately is the lesser of the two due its comparative lack of character depth and unengaging storyline.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Very clever.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 13, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Though Christopher Nolan's The Prestige was the big film dealing with magic in 2006, its competitor The Illusionist released the same year, is a well crafted film in the same style, but very different. Edward Norton yet again delivers an electrifying performance as illusionist Ei... read moresenheim. The Illusionist is a strong film with top notch performances aside from Norton. A surprisingly good performance is that of Jessica Biel as Duchess Sophie Von Teschen. She delivers the best performance of her career. The Illusionist is a strong film with a story full of twists and turns. The plot is surprising and its never what you really expect. Its really hard to compare The Illusionist with The Prestige because they're two totally different films. But The Illusionist is a totally different story than The Prestige despite the fact that it uses magic as a plot device. The story here is incredible, beautiful, mysterious and suspenseful. People have said this is predictable, but I beg to defer. I thought the story had plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end. The Illusionist is a very entertaining film with a strong cast and despite the fact its a lesser film than The Prestige, this is still a worthy film to watch and enjoy. The Illusionist is one of Edward Norton's best films and also the fact that it shows Jessica Biel giving a great performance gives her a lot more credibility as an actress. A must see film that brings on great amounts of thrills and mystery.
  • ythelastman89
    February 21, 2011
    ythelastman89
    2006 was blessed with two awesome magician movies, The Prestige and The Illusionist. Both have their strengths, this happens to excel at the possibility of real magic. Edward Norton gives a commanding performance in his crazy goatee and bizarre clothing, but it's really surprisin... read moreg how vulnerable the character was played. It also has the go-to villain of the 00s, Rufus Sewell. Much like in Knight's Tale, he literally embodies an evil mastermind without compassion for others. I like the romantic element of this a lot. While it's all too common in stories like this to have a deceiving woman behind the scenes, this really had no problem being black and white with its characters. From the minute they appear on screen, you know exactly what each character stands for. While that might hurt some plots, it only strengthens this one.

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Critic Reviews

Bob Mondello
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

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 ... Full Review

Stanley Kauffmann
October 26, 2006
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

What (director Neil) Burger and his colleagues have done is to entrance us with a richly acted, beautifully produced story.

Steven Rea
September 1, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Conjures up a world of mystery, romance and suspense.

Roger Moore
September 1, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Norton is a magnetic and mysterious center to the piece, boring his eyes through the screen with his intensity. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
September 1, 2006
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

The story may be less than credible, but the performances are mostly good, and Giamatti makes an especially strong showing.

Michael Booth
September 1, 2006
Michael Booth, Denver Post

A pleasant diversion serious enough to offer a little soul. Full Review

Terry Lawson
August 25, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Underneath its hocus-pocus is a compelling story, very well told. Full Review

Bill Muller
August 25, 2006
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

Because the plot spins out in such a smooth fashion and the acting is so darned good, we're distracted from the film's flaws. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
August 24, 2006
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Illusionist has several tricks up its sleeve, not the least of which is Edward Norton's impeccable performance as a master magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna. Full Review

Joanne Kaufman
August 21, 2006
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal

The ludicrous climax, full of run-that-by-me-again flashbacks delivered at Keystone-cop speed -- oh, if only he could make that disappear. Full Review

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    • Eisenheim: My intention has only been to entertain, nothing more.
    • Eisenheim: Everything you have seen here has been an illusion.
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The Illusionist Trivia

  • Rufus Sewell has had a role on the following movies: -The Illusionist -A Knight's Tale -The Legend of Zorro What do this character have in common?  Answer »
  • a film that has a suprise ending after a disappearing act and giving clues to the prince killing his women  Answer »
  • What movie set in Vienna, has a magician who uses his abilities to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing?  Answer »
  • In what movie was a magician arrested for insulting a prince with his tricks and contacting the spirits of the dead?  Answer »
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