The Illusionist
2006, Czech/USA, Directed (and screenplay written) by Neil Burger
Colour, Running Time: 110 minutes
Cinema screening, Image: 1.85:1 Super 35, Audio: English (in foreign accents…)
Adapted from a short story Burger’s film focuses on a magician around turn-of-the-century Vienna who runs into the childhood sweetheart that he was forced to leave behind years earlier thanks to a class divide and the narrow minded authorities who thought it was a relevant point. As an adult she’s about to marry a reputedly violent Crown Prince, who has his own political agenda based on the initiation of his proposed marriage. The magician finds himself being pushed away from the one he loves once again and, as far as he’s concerned, he’s not about to let it happen again. But he’s up against overwhelming forces in the shape of corrupt police and amoral royalty (hang on, we are still in Vienna here aren’t we….?).
It’s a good film and the performances are generally great, Norton as the eponymous protagonist and particularly Rufus Sewell as the Crown Prince. In fact I didn’t recognise Sewell for a while. The visuals are especially attractive, my favourite sequence from an aesthetic point of view being the flashback to Norton’s youth - shot almost in silent movie style visually. Philip Glass, probably one of the greatest living composers, provides the beautiful score (string heavy, as can be expected). The story is an interesting one and enough to keep the attention throughout. Avoiding general Hollywood conventions in many ways, this is worth checking out at the cinema.