The Illusionist

Ein historischer Streifen für das Konsumpublikum. Eine vereinfachte Charakterisierung der Figuren, die Gefühle von zwei Figuren entstehen durch eine kitschige Beleuchtung und ein unscharfes Bild ihrer Umgebung. Wie in der schlimmsten Soap-Opera. Auf der anderen Seite – die Geschichte hat ein schnelles Tempo und Bratislava und Prag, begleitet von der Musik von Philip Glass, wirken unwiderstehlich und fast märchenhaft historisch. Es ist ein bisschen überraschend, dass die markanteste Figur (das betrifft auch die Schauspielleistung) nicht Edward Norton, sondern Paul Giamatti ist. Ohne die peinlichen Bemühungen, das Publikum mit der Pointe zu beeindrucken, die jeder, der ein bisschen nachdenkt, (mindestens) zehn Minuten früher errät, und ohne die Lückenhaftigkeit und Unvollständigkeit der Pointe hätte ich dem Film "schuldbewusste" vier Sterne gegeben. (15.02.2009)

I wouldn't have expected such a bland performance from Norton (another Italian Job?), and maybe he didn't even know what ear-splitting lines the script would force him to let out of his mouth. The only thing that keeps this below-average fable afloat, with the look of a slightly more expensive TV production, is the great (and better from film to film) Giammatti, while the final Shyamalan-like twist stands on very shaky legs. And I might rename the whole film to "Hologram Man" – Eisenheim's stunts in the second half were closer to science fiction than to illusory shenanigans (nasty nitwit Lima). (09.01.2007)

A fairytale dressed up as an ingenious show for adults. The Illusionist shows its colors in the title. For most of the movie it pretends to be something different than what it is. It seems to be a clever and well thought out picture until the last five minutes when it pulls out its true colors and it turns out to be woefully dumb. I mean the explanation for idiots at the end is so pointless when everything was obvious an hour before the end. I’m more fascinated about the fact that the creators all of a sudden ignore the only part that would have demolished this like a house of cards: the “spirits". This certainly is no disappointment in terms of the acting, but I must admit that I was expecting something more from such a cast. Up until his performance at the Hofburg in front of the nobility, The Illusionist is outstanding, then it is just good and at the end almost ridiculous. Apart from that, it’s a bit longer than is needed to be. But what makes it interesting for the Czechs among us are the filming locations and, for everybody, Glass’s music which occasionally does too much the work itself. (16.02.2008)

The illusionist is very unlucky as he directly clashed in time with another magic film, Nolan's The Prestige, against which he has no chance to withstand even without closer examination. While the second film sets darkness and nerve-wracking complex twists, Neil Burger makes do with only a slightly mysterious atmosphere and clearly defined characters - a good-evil-just-beautiful. Nevertheless, I liked this straightforward fairytale, even though it has serious logical gaps in its explanations, but thanks to the right magical mood and clearly defined genre rules, it is more than pleasant in its simplicity. (03.02.2007)

Nice shot and extraordinarily beautifully musically painted mysterious film, which was filmed in southern Bohemia and chose a fictional speculative story from the old Austro-Hungarian Empire as its subject. Thanks to the camera, showcased tricks, and mentioned music, this film is very consumable, except for the casting of Jessica Biel in the lead female role. It is a standard Hollywood affair with several pleasant script twists. Overall impression: 80%. A film about love and, above all, about magic. (21.11.2008)

A Czech fairy tale with Edwad Norton in the lead role. Neil Burger obviously learned the style from other, and mainly cheaper, Czech productions. (09.05.2009)

The illusionist is not as good as The Prestige. While Nolan throws the viewer into an indescribable atmosphere, visual precision, and script sophistication, The Illusionist relies on the captivating backdrop of Prague and the Czech countryside. The result is naturally not the same, and it is clear who comes out on top. Edward Norton doesn't play a great role, and Jessica Biel is more of an ornament. Some parts movie bored me outright (surprisingly, including the ending) and the deficiencies in terms of unfinished sets and not always fully optimal production design are all too evident. What sets The Illusionist completely apart from The Prestige is the concept of the story. The former has its greatest weapons in originality and being “different”, while the latter film, in a relatively solid yet still quite unexplored realm of magic, only shows classic and well-worn values without anything extra, which is by far not enough. So, if I were to rate the first film only based on its relative drowsiness and tediousness, I cannot do otherwise than give it a below-average rating. (26.12.2008)

Ohne den unsympathischen Norton (was mein ewiges Problem ist) wäre der Film besser gewesen. Die Stimmung der damaligen Zeit, die Musik und die allgegenwärtigen Illusionen sind schön. Dadurch wirkt dieser magische Film fast wie ein Märchen. Er ist aber langsam, ziemlich lang und oft langweilig. Die Autoren waren sich dessen wahrscheinlich bewusst. Deshalb haben sie im letzten Drittel richtig Gas gegeben. Das Ende ist dadurch… Besser geworden. The Illusionist kann es aber trotzdem nicht retten. (10.07.2010)

A very interesting topic overall. I have always liked magicians, and setting it in the era of Franz Josef is quite appropriate. There are interesting actors involved, and on top of that, magic is connected to a death case. At first glance, it's not bad, but the whole thing is done somewhat inconsistently. It's neither a proper thriller nor a proper romance, and the magic itself is a bit too trick-oriented. Edward Norton is excellent, as well as Giamatti, as always. However, overall, it gives more conflicting feelings than enthusiasm. (01.04.2014)