HLJ's Movie Blog

The Illusionist

You can hardly go wrong with the cast of The Illusionist. Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors. He certainly didn't disappoint in this movie. Rufus Sewell is the best bad guy around. See A Knight's Tale or The Legend of Zorro for further proof. And Paul Giamati, well, he's a good dupe in just about any movie. Jessica Biel is pretty, which is really all the role required. The stilted accents could have been omitted though. It was rare that any of the actors could pull it off consistently.

I was excited that the score was by Philip Glass. He did the score for The Hours - loved it - and many other things, including a piece for Battlestar Galactica. It's hard to precisely describe in words his compositions. It's a feeling that you get when you listen. The music lulls. It's sort of like listening to the ocean as the waves reach the shore. Each wave sounds the same as it hits, but you wait for one to make a big crash. I've always thought that his compositions do a great job of creating and sustaining an emotion, but never completing one. It's amazing.

I also liked the fact that the movie payed homage to early cinema. The tones used in the scenes of Sophie and Eisenstein when they were young had that warm sepia tone that hearkens to old daguerreotypes. The iris in and out used for transitions was also a tribute to those early days of cinema. And the name Eisenstein, well, if you don't recognize it, try looking it up.

My only minor disappointment was that I knew how it would end. I didn't read about it and spoil it, but I knew. When Eisenstein was checking his watch as he was supposedly waiting for Sophie, I just knew. Besides, why bother calling the movie the Illusionist if the main character can't pull off one amazing trick and get the girl? But I think the tell was how Eisenstein and Sophie always talked about disappearing. Why bother to mention that if some attempt to do so isn't made? And, since Eisenstein was such a master illusionist, why not pull off a grand illusion and fake Sophie's death? I wasn't sure how Eisenstein was going to get out of it or how the Prince would fair, so I can't claim I knew everything. Also, the denouement was a little weak and a little too reminiscent of The Usual Suspects. It could have been much better.

And finally, as love stories go, this was a charming one. I nearly cried when Eisenstein was telling Sophie that he traveled around the world and couldn't find any real mysteries. That is except why his heart couldn't let go of her. That line nearly got me. Because of this, it ranks third in my list of lines of dialog that confess love. The first being, of course, Li Mu Bai's confession of love to Shu Lien in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The second being the Captain's written confession of love to Ann in Persuasion.