The Illusionist
— All is not what it seems: The Illusionist conjures little enthusiasm…”
- Director: Neil Burger
- United States, 2006
Looking for some diversion ahead of a long flight, I first came across Steven Millhauser’s unusual oeuvre in Bangkok airport around New Year 2001. Maybe I even judged the book by its cover, but a short story collection entitled The Knife Thrower & Other Stories would catch any travel-weary eye. Indeed, Millhauser’s picaresque work all but cries out to be filmed and the titular tall tale exhibited a strong kinship with The Illusionist, his first story to be committed to celluloid.
Dusty sepia stock and delicate titles open the film. It’s all beautifully rendered, with a stunning Czech location standing in for the grandeur of 19th century Vienna.
The performances of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti are certainly compelling, but though the opening moments promise much, the creepy, oddball essence of Millhauser’s bric-a-brac bazaar sadly eludes the rest.
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Hello you, I'm Mike Padgett. I'm not a Princeton curator, Knoxville mayoral candidate, Kentuckian pastor or Arizona journalist, I just share the same name. In fact, I am a consultant working in user experience and information design.
I also enjoy travel, concerts, films and walking.
I'm originally from Yorkshire, England but nowadays I live in Belgium. My current favourite Belgian beer is Black Albert.
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April 20th, 2008 at 11:54
[...] powerful presence has made for interesting cinéma in every appearance he’s made, including The Illusionist, 21 Grams and Gangs Of New [...]