The Illusionist
I was 19 when I first became aware of twin films. Two movies, with similar themes, written and released by two different studios in the same year. My introduction to the concept was Dante’s Peak and Volcano, two movies about volcanic eruptions, both released in 1997. Since then audiences have their pick of twin movies each year, whether they want to see two movies about asteroids (Deep Impact/Armageddon), CGI sharks (A Shark Tale/Finding Nemo), or…mall cops (Observe and Report/Paul Blart: Mall Cop). The twin film phenomenon isn’t new either: this Wikipedia list gives examples of twin films all the way back to the 1940s.
Usually I only ever watch one of the twin films. My rationale is simple: if I’ve already seen one movie about no-strings-attached sex that year (Friends with Benefits) I really don’t need to see another one (No Strings Attached). 2006 was the exception to my one-twin-film-a-year rule. That year I saw two movies about magicians: Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige and The Illusionist. Of the two, I saw The Illusionist first, and it remains my favorite of the two films; however, the two films are only mildly connected in that they both deal with magic as a theme. Once the theme is introduced, the two movies differ: The Prestige is about rival magicians, while The Illusionist is more of a romance.
While a Way Too Late review of The Prestige is forthcoming, today I want to focus on The Illusionist, since I recently rewetted it to see how well the film holds up. I’m happy to say that it does. I mentioned last week that while I enjoy a movie with good spectacle, the movie falls flat without interesting characters. The Illusionist gives me both: compelling characters and an amazing sense of style. The plot itself is nothing new: boy from the wrong side of the tracks tries to win the heart of the girl far above his station, who is promised to another man. The Illusionist humanizes the story by grounding it is thinly veiled fiction: the film is based on a short story by Steven Millhauser, which is itself a fictionalized retelling of the Mayerling Incident. Standing in for the real-life Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria is Rufus Sewell (best known for the amazing noir film Dark City). As Crown Prince Leopold, Sewell is the other man who will stop at nothing to break up Sophie (Jessica Biel) and Eisenheim the Illusionist (Edward Norton). Sewell kills it here; one of the perks of setting a film in 19th century Vienna is the liberties one can take with facial hair. Sewell actually gets to wear the sinister mustache and not have it look out of place.
While I hate it when actors are typecast into certain roles based on previous roles they’ve played or the general perception of their personalities, every actor in The Illusionist seems to have been cast this way, and for the most part it works. Everyman Paul Giamatti is pitch perfect as the Chief Inspector caught between his standing and his loyalties to the crown. Jessica Biel doesn’t have much to do except stand around and look pretty, which she does to great effect. As for Edward Norton, his reputation as a difficult actor to work with bleeds through into his portrayal of Eisenheim. Every facial expression Norton has in this movie seems to be a variation on a smirk, as Norton is telling the cameraman to fuck off during every shot.
Since I prefer my films with characterization over spectacle, I’m not one to notice dazzling effects unless they get in the way of the story. That said, the way The Illusionist was filmed was brilliant. The film is all washed-out sepia tones and round edges. It looks like the most high-definition daguerreotype ever. It’s a bold stylistic choice and one that pays off handsomely. With it, the scenes feel lyrical and dreamy. Almost…as if one is watching a magic trick.
tl;drs
Blank is a blanker version of blank: The Illusionist is like a sepia-toned period reimagining of The Usual Suspects.
Screen credits over/under: Under. Director Neil Burger wrote the script based on Steven Millhauser’s short story.
Recommended if you like: Period dramas, moodiness.
Better than I expected: Rufus Sewell chews the scenery every time his Crown Prince Leopold is on screen. By the end of the film I was rooting for him to die.
Worse than I hoped: The second act drags a bit, but Burger makes up for that with the magnificent ending.
Verdict: If you only saw one magician film in 2006 and it was The Prestige, give The Illusionist a shot.
