Edward Norton plays Eisenheim, an illusionist that has returned to his hometown of Vienna. He initially impresses the Crown Prince (played impressively by Rufus Sewell) and meets his fiancé Sophie (Jessica Biel), who turns out to be Eisenheim’s childhood love. Paul Giamatti is the Chief Inspector and while he is fascinated with Eisenheim’s skills, he clearly serves the Crown Prince.
The premise of the story is nothing new. Of course the Crown Prince is a horrible person and the audience wants Eisenheim and Sophie to reunite. Of course this is extremely dangerous. Whatever will they do?
The acting is a bit of a disappointment, specifically from Norton. Don’t get me wrong he delivers a very calculated and decent performance, but he is easily one of my favorite actors and I was expecting brilliance. Several times his accent slipped in and out, which was surprising. The rest of the cast were all very good, but I was expecting gold, and while I was concerned about Biel acting alongside the rest of the group, she fit right in.
Okay, seriously skip down to the rating unless you want this movie spoiled for you. As the majority of this movie is based on a plot twist, it’s difficult to discuss without giving it away. That said, it’s difficult to watch without figuring it out, and I think most viewers will be less than shocked at the reveal. That said, itwatch it unfold, but I have a feeling the writers expected a little more shock. Sophie’s murder is staged in order for her to escape and an elaborate plan to convict the Crown Prince for her death makes up most of the movie. The question we were asking ourselves is, if Sophie really isn’t dead, isn’t this a little cruel. As long as the Crown Prince believes that she is dead, why does he need to be convicted of her murder? It seemed a bit like an ego contest and really took away from the innocence of the love affair between Sophie and Eisenheim.
I realize I haven’t said a lot of nice things about this movie to give it 3 out of 5 stars. It was actually an interesting and dark little mystery, but since it failed to actually surprise and I had such high expectations, it sits comfortably among all the average films in the world
By Tina Alexander
