With his eye on a lovely aristocrat, a gifted illusionist named Eisenheim uses his powers to win her away from her betrothed, a crown prince. But Eisenheim’s scheme creates tumult within the monarchy and ignites the suspicion of a dogged inspector.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Eisenheim: Edward Norton
- Inspector Uhl: Paul Giamatti
- Sophie: Jessica Biel
- Crown Prince Leopold: Rufus Sewell
- Josef Fischer: Eddie Marsan
- Young Eisenheim: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Young Sophie: Eleanor Tomlinson
- Jurka: Jake Wood
- Willigut: Tom Fisher
- Doctor / Old Man: Karl Johnson
- Loschek: Vincent Franklin
- Herr Doebler: Nicholas Blane
- Dr. Hofzinser: Philip McGough
- Count Rainer: Erich Redman
- Von Thurnburg: Michael Carter
- Eisenheim’s Father: Andreas Grothusen
- Eisenheim’s Assistant: Brian Caspe
- Mrs. Uhl: Ellen Savaria
- Sophie’s Driver: Vítězslav Bouchner
- Archduke: David O’Kelly
- Archduke: Richard Rowlands
- Frankel: Reuben-Henry Biggs
- Spiritualist Leader: Robert Russell
- Arrested Man: Noel Le Bon
- Respectable Man: David Fellowes
- Senior Officer: Jan Nemejovský
- Senior Officer: Ivo Novák
- Train Conductor: Vladimír Kulhavý
- Audience Member: Duke Faeger
- Audience Member: Brendan Gunn
- Audience Member: Ryan James
- Audience Member: Petr Meissel
- Audience Member: Jeff Smith
- Audience Member: Ivan Urbánek
- Young Father (uncredited): James Babson
- Audience Member: Jaroslav Vízner
- Audience Member: Jiří Vacek
- Audience Member: Noelle Trkulja
- Audience Member: Anezka Novak
- Audience Member: Alistair Macnaughtan
- Audience Member: Nancy Bishop
- Man on Street: John Early
- Sobbing Woman: Eva Kelemenová
- Guard: Alfred Strejček
- Boy Apparition in Audience: Fasihiddin Khasanov
- Boy Apparition on Stage: Jan Cibulka
- Asian Assistant: Erdenbileg Sengee
- Asian Assistant: Sondom Nararbadrakh
- Asian Assistant: Cheng Feng
- Asian Assistant: Purevdorj Boldsaikhan
- Asian Assistant: Vadam Bat-Orshikh
- Street Urchin: Robin Ferenc
- Street Urchin: Dominik Havelka
- Street Urchin Messenger: Elias Bauer
- Aristocratic Boy: Thomas McEnchroe
- Aristocratic Boy: Oliver Blaha
- Aristocratic Boy: Laurie Athey
- Traveling Magician: David Forest
- Man Who Incites Riot: Matthew Blood-Smyth
- Shouting Woman: Vanessa Gendron
Film Crew:
- Costume Design: Ngila Dickson
- Original Music Composer: Philip Glass
- Editor: Naomi Geraghty
- Casting: Deborah Aquila
- Producer: Bob Yari
- Producer: Brian Koppelman
- Producer: David Levien
- Co-Producer: Tom Karnowski
- Co-Producer: David Minkowski
- Co-Producer: Matthew Stillman
- Casting: Nina Gold
- Director: Neil Burger
- Producer: Cathy Schulman
- Producer: Michael London
- Short Story: Steven Millhauser
- Director of Photography: Dick Pope
- Executive Producer: Tom Nunan
- ADR Recordist: Rick Canelli
- Dialogue Editor: Mark L. Mangino
- Music Editor: Suzana Peric
- Cableman: Tomáš Červenka
- Special Effects Supervisor: Roman Tudzaroff
- Production Design: Ondrej Nekvasil
- Casting: Tricia Wood
- Music Editor: Alice Wood
- Makeup Artist: Ivo Strangmüller
- Foley Artist: John Roesch
- Art Direction: Stefan Kovacik
- First Assistant Editor: Arturo Sosa
- ADR Voice Casting: Georgia Simon
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: David E. Campbell
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Gregg Rudloff
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: John T. Reitz
- Post-Production Manager: Chris Miller
- Supervising Sound Editor: J. Paul Huntsman
- Foley Artist: Alyson Dee Moore
- Visual Effects Producer: Vít Komrzý
- Script Supervisor: Lori Wyant
- Stunt Coordinator: Ladislav Lahoda
- Publicist: Mira Husseini
- Sound Designer: Michael Babcock
- Visual Effects Supervisor: Viktor Müller
- Gaffer: Václav Čermák
- Wigmaker: Stephanie Hovette
- Color Timer: Kenny Becker
- Assistant Director: Jakub Dvorak
- Animation: Gary Hebert
- Executive Producer: Joey Horvitz
- Foley Mixer: Mary Jo Lang
- Art Direction: Vlasta Svoboda
- Set Decoration: Petra Hábová
- Sound Mixer: Petr Forejt
- Assistant Director: Lucie Burianová
- Stunts: Miroslav Lhotka
- Hair Designer: Jan Archibald
- Still Photographer: Glen Wilson
- Dialect Coach: Brendan Gunn
- Boom Operator: Roman Rigo
- Makeup Department Head: Julie L. Pearce
- Production Supervisor: Vaclav Eisenhamer
- Foley Recordist: Scott Morgan
- ADR Mixer: Thomas J. O’Connell
- Executive Producer: Jane Garnett
- Executive Producer: Ted Liebowitz
- Makeup Artist: Denise Dellavalle
- Extras Casting: Jirí Hrstka
Movie Reviews:
- GeekMasher: When I looked at this film for the first time I was unsure it would be any good… I was completely amazed by how this film was good. The actors all played there role very well. The film has a very good storyline and I was compelled to watch it. All in all a great movie, worth watching.
- John Chard: Life and death. Space and time. Fate and chance. Theses are the forces of the universe.
The Illusionist is directed by Neil Burger and Burger adapts the screenplay from “Eisenheim the Illusionist” written by Steven Millhauser. It stars Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell. Music is by Philip Glass and cinematography by Dick Pope.
How splendid, a period romantic mystery that’s filled with the mysticism of magical conjurings and political volatility. Plot essentially has Norton as Eisenheim The Illusionist, who later in life runs into Sophie (Biel), his childhood sweetheart, and finds that she’s on course to marry Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell). Leopold has a bad reputation and it’s not long before Eisenheim comes under Leopold’s disdain, forcing Eisenheim to try and pull off the ultimate magic act to save Sophie and himself.
Creator Neil Burger crafts a picture that has everything going for it. The story is rock solid with intrigue credentials, where appropriately for a story based around magic tricks nothing is ever as it seems. The period flavours are smartly assembled, the Czech Republic locations smartly standing in for turn of the century Vienna, the art production is on point with the era of setting, as is the costuming. Glass drifts a tender melancholic score over the piece, while Pope’s cinematography is simply gorgeous, offering up colour lensing that’s aura enhancing, the kind you could get lost in for days.
The magic tricks are beguiling, as they should be and are in fact required since the narrative tantalisingly suggests Eisenheim may have supernatural powers? The story itself has no historical worth, but is fascinating none the less. It all builds towards its revelations, and much hinges on if the pay off is worth the admission fee? Most assuredly so it is, even if from a personal point of view this writer wouldn’t have minded if pic had finished five minutes before the final revelation.
Either way, and with smart acting (Giamatti as the police inspector standing out) without histrionics holding things at the top end, this is delicate film making that engages the emotions fully for entertainment rewards. 8/10
- JPV852: Seen this movie several times over the years and still find it so entertaining and satisfying thanks in large part to Edward Norton’s performance. In some ways, although not as expertly directed, I prefer this over The Prestige, which is a great movie in its own right.