PLOT: A magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna (Edward Norton) becomes embroiled in a dangerous love triangle involving an Austrian noblewoman (Jessica Biel) and the Crown Prince of Europe (Rufus Sewell).
The supernatural mystery-love story, The Illusionist, is brought to you by the same producers who offered up Crash and Sideways.
Thus it's no surprise that the movie is a smart, sophisticated, well-acted film -- for the most part -- set in turn-of-the-century Vienna involving magic, mystery, power and privilege.
Oscar nominee Edward Norton is perfectly cast as an intense, brooding magician named Eisenheim, who makes the mistake of falling for the independent and beautiful Sophie (Jessica Biel), a woman far above his social rank who is nonetheless intrigued by his talent and charm.
The couple first meet as children, but their budding courtship is quickly broken up by her family and he flees Vienna to protect himself.
The next time they meet, it's several years later. Eisenheim has returned as a worldly, accomplished illusionist and is performing on stage when Sophie is offered as a volunteer for one of his tricks.
The man doing the offering is none other than Crown Prince Leopold (British actor Rufus Sewell), a smart if brutal ruler who is skeptical of Eisenheim's powers and knows nothing of Eisenheim's and Sophie's past.
Sophie is engaged to Leopold, but naturally that relationship becomes tenuous once her love affair with Eisenheim is rekindled.
Further complicating matters is an ambitious police inspector named Uhl (Paul Giamatti), who has been instructed by Leopold to expose Eisenheim's magic, which has a devoted following and has made him something of a local hero.
However, Uhl has an obvious respect for Eisenheim and becomes increasingly conflicted about his dirty work as the love triangle takes nastier and nastier turns.
Sadly, I guessed what was going on about half-way through the movie and while the three male leads all deliver the goods in their respective roles, the one weak link is Biel.
She is lovely and luscious to look at, but her previous work in such Hollywood schlock as Blade:Trinity, Stealth and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre hasn't exactly prepared her to make the jump to this calibre of film.
Where the devil is Scarlett Johansson when you need her?
Still, it's all incredibly romantic and Prague is gorgeous to look at, and anyone who likes magic will definitely like this.
BOTTOM LINE: Some fine performances by Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell and an interesting story make this supernatural mystery better than most. Sadly, Jessica Biel is no Scarlett Johansson in the acting department, even though she has the looks.
(This film is rated PG)
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