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Original title: Illusionist, The
Release Date
• USA: Aug 18, 2006
Budget USD 40,000,000
BoxOffice: $39.7M
Official Website:
The Illusionist Website
MPAA Rating
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence.
Running Time
1 hour, 50 minutes
Country Czech Republic, USA
Production Companies
Bull's Eye Entertainment, Bob Yari Productions, Contagious Entertainment, Michael London Productions, Stillking Films
Studio Yari Film Group
More info on IMDb.com
Other Titles
• The Illusionist (2006)
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Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Drama
Tagline: Nothing is what it seems
Plot: When Eisenheim (Edward Norton) begins to perform his astounding illusions in Vienna, word quickly spreads of his otherworldly powers ... even reaching the ears of one of Europe’s most powerful and pragmatic men, Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Certain that the illusionist is nothing more than an accomplished fraud, Leopold attends one of Eisenheim’s shows, convinced that he can debunk him during the performance. But when the Prince’s beautiful fiancé and companion, Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods -- and a dormant love affair is rekindled. With Eisenheim and Leopold vying for Sophie’s affection, it quickly becomes apparent that both will go to any length to claim and keep her love.As the clandestine romance continues, Uhl (Paul Giamatti) is charged by Leopold to intensify his efforts to expose Eisenheim, even while the magician gains a devoted and vocal public following. With Uhl doggedly searching for the reasons and the man behind the trickery, Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion
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Behind the Scenes:
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 Discussion forum for this movie
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Burger does an excellent job of keeping the audience guessing - is Eisenheim a master trickster or does he control supernatural forces? We don't find out the answer until the closing moments, but it's enjoyable to guess along the way. Taken as a whole, The Illusionist is a parfait - it looks great, goes down pleasantly, and is a nice treat. However, it's also a little on the insubstantial side...  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
...is not your typical period drama, a breath-taking breakthrough into the suspense-mystery genre that owes as much to Arthur Conan Doyle as it does to M. Night Shyamalan, molding the two of them into a glorious spectacle that's as marvelous as it is unique. 9.5/10--Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net)
It's not quite all it could be. The lack of characterization makes it difficult to completely connect with the romance story, which never seems as important as Uhl's crisis of conscience or the socio-economic subtext. Writer-director Neil Burger seems torealize this as well as the film makes a complete change of direction in the second half and Uhl comes to the fore. If nothing else though, "The Illusionist" is worth watching solely for Giamatti's Oscar-caliber performance. 7/10--Joshua Starnes (ComingSoon.net)
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| Cast |
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 | Jessica Biel
Blade: Trinity, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Cellular |
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 | Eddie Marsan
Gangs of New York, Mission: Impossible III, 21 Grams | Jake Wood
Flesh & Blood, They Do It with Mirrors, Murder Rooms: The Photographer's Chair | Tom Fisher
The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing, Shanghai Knights | |
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| Adapted from a short story, Burger pads “Illusionist” to the breaking point just so there’s some sense of twirling madness to latch his film onto. The film stumbles badly in the third act, drawing threadbare events out needlessly and ridiculously. I’m not sure there can be a legitimate plot twist in a film called “The Illusionist,” but that doesn’t stop Burger: he goes for broke in the “Usual Suspects” scented final lap, taking his picture from a harmless diversion to an endurance test. C --Brian Orndorf (FilmJerk.com)
...is wildly romantic, playfully profound, and a cipher with many sides, all equally alluring. An elegant exercise, it leaves just enough to the audience’s imagination to make it resonate long after the events of the story have played out.  --Andrea Chase (Killer Movie Reviews)
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