DVD : The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
EAN: 0024543402374
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Region Code: 1
Release Date: January 09, 2007
Running Time: 109 minutes
Sales Rank: 1461
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: September 01, 2006
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Unlock the mysteries of the year's most spellbinding film from the producers of Crash and Sideways! Oscar(r) nominees Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton lead an all-star cast in this "stunning" film (USA Today) that conjures an exhilarating blend of suspense, romance and mind-bending twists. The acclaimed illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) has not only captured the imaginations of all of Vienna, but also the interest of the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). But when Leopold's new fiancée (Jessica Biel) rekindles a childhood fascination with Eisenheim, the Prince's interest evolves into obsession...and suddenly the city's Chief Inspector (Giamatti) finds himself investigating a shocking crime. But even as the Inspector engages him in a dramatic challenge of wills, Eisenheim prepares for his most impressive illusion yet in this "mesmerizing" (Entertainment Weekly) and "beautifully acted" (Good Morning America) film that "teases you until the very end!" (The New York Times).
Amazon.com:
First screened in Europe and scheduled for limited release in the U.S., The Illusionist offers welcome proof that "arthouse" quality needn't be limited to the arthouses. Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, this stately, elegant period film benefited from a crossover release in mainstream cinemas, and showed considerable box-office staying power--granted, teenage mallrats and lusty males may have been drawn to the allure of Seventh Heaven alumna Jessica Biel, who rises to the occasion with a fine performance. But there's equal appeal in the casting of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, who bring their formidable talents to bear on the intriguing tale of a celebrated magician named Eisenheim (Norton) whose stage performance offends the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a vindictive lout who aims to marry Duchess Sophie (Biel), Eisenheim's childhood friend and now, 15 years later, his would-be lover. This romantic rivalry and Eisenheim's increasingly enigmatic craft of illusion are investigated by Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti), who's under Leopold's command and is therefore not to be trusted as Eisenheim and Sophie draw closer to their inevitable reunion. Cleverly adapted by director Neil Burger from Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist," and boasting exquisite production values and a fine score by Philip Glass, The Illusionist is the kind of class act that fully deserved its unusually wide and appreciative audience. -- Jeff Shannon
Beyond The Illusionist 
"Eisenheim the Illusionist" and Other Stories | 
Paul Giamatti in a More Loveable Role | 
Magic Kits & Accessories | Stills from The Illusionist
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
It's odd, but in the year 2006 there were two major motion pictures to feature stories about magicians and/or illusionists. The first film was The Illusionist, while the second film was The Prestige. In my humble opinion The Prestige is a superior film mainly because of the film's technical execution under the watchful eye of director Christopher Nolan.
But I digress.
The Illusionist is a surprisingly engaging suspense film with strong supernatural or "fantasy" elements. Writer/director ... Read More
Rating:  -
"The Illusionist" does not fail to entertain. The film satisfies a wide audience with its ability to weave romance, mystery, and suspense all into one plot. Right from the beginning of the film, the understated texture of the film adds an appealing aesthetic quality that draws the audience to wonder what secrets and illusions lie deeper below the surface.
The beginning scene sets the stage for the rest of the film. Eisenheim (Edward Norton) performs a scandalous magic trick on stage ... Read More
Rating: -
This movie ends like the Sixth Sense. One can say the movie has two endings. The first ending, when Paul Giamatti finds out he also cannot touch Edward Norton, was very good. It would mean that Edward Norton himself was a ghost, sort of like Bruce Willis finding out he too is a ghost in the Sixth Sense. The second ending in which Paul Giamatti has a series of revelations (shown to us using flashbacks) was a bit too much for me, as it seemed too eager to end on a Hollywood-style high note.
Rating: -
Eward Norton gives a wonderfully understated performance in this historical romance set in Vienna at the turn of the century. He plays a marvelous magician who has fallen in love with a daughter of the aristocracy intended for marriage to the nasty megalomaniac Crown Prince who regards her as a ripe fruit worth picking and then throwing away. How will he win her? By magic obviously.
Norton is backed up by a superb performance by Paul Giamatti as a cynical police chief trying to advance his career ... Read More
Rating: -
The marvelous film The Illusionist was released in 2006 to reasonable success at the box office. But its art house feel and understated (and excellent)acting apparently appealed to only so many people. It did not make great play with the media and was not splashed across the covers of magazines, with the possible exception of celebrity gossip circles for the youthful Jessica Biel. Even an ardent viewer of films such as myself missed this one at the theater.
So, seeing this film two years later ... Read More
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