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The Illusionist

Play trailer Poster for The Illusionist PG-13 2006 1h 50m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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74% Tomatometer 193 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
A master magician named Eisenheim (Edward Norton) vies with Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) of Vienna for the hand of noblewoman Sophie (Jessica Biel), the girl he once loved. He brings his considerable powers to bear on the prince, as she is about to be named royal fiancee. However, a police inspector named Uhl (Paul Giamatti) tries to warn Eisenheim that he is playing a very dangerous game.
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The Illusionist

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Critics Consensus

The Illusionist is an engrossing, well-crafted story of mystery, magic and intrigue that is certain to enchant, if not hypnotize, audiences.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator So, in short? Well, the scenery is very pleasant and this film would kill a couple of hours on a plane. But I don't think I'd advise schlepping to the cinema rather than, say, staying at home for a nap then a bit of cheese. Jan 30, 2018 Full Review Brian Tallerico UGO Despite its two strong lead performances and terrific visual verve, The Illusionist ends up as a great example of an overly ambitious movie that's not quite sure what it wants to be. Mar 24, 2007 Full Review James Christopher The Times (UK) Norton looks tortured and old before his time as the humourless Eisenheim. Rated: 3/5 Mar 13, 2007 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site The Illusionist is an attractively done piece of work, that leaves a relatively small impression. Feb 14, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com The Illusionist is a deceptively simple yet magical cinematic experience. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 11, 2020 Full Review Kathi Maio The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction The legerdemain of The Illusionist is done with more finesse...it is that feeling of elation that makes it magic. Feb 28, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert C One of the best and most enchanting movies I have ever seen. The intrigue is haunting. The acting superb. I never knew knew what to expect from scene to scene. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/13/25 Full Review Calvin T One of the greatest movies I've seen 💯✌🏾 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/25 Full Review Christina A Quite good. Top notch performance from Paul Giamatti. I understand the tricks were supposed to come across as Fantastical and that's what made Eisenheim appealing. Other than that, the movie does well immersing the viewer into the time period with beautifully shot scenes as well as the music score. A worthy watch for sure! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/04/25 Full Review David B This film is beautifully filmed and has a magic quality about it . The only part of it that didn't sit well with me is that the illusions were not at all possible . The orange tree and the young boy walking through the theatre just couldn't have been done . I would have enjoyed seeing real life ' illusions ' that would have grounded the film in reality . However , it is a very wonderful film with a perfect cast and wonderful direction Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/24/25 Full Review Kyle C I’m kind of a sucker for magician movies for some reason. There’s something about the mystery and the intrigue of it all, knowing that there’s eventually gonna be a big reveal with a smug, look-how-smart-I-am attitude while the audiences, both at the real-life cinema and within the film, stare in amazement. I’ll say that this was not my favorite magician movie (The Prestige holds that, well, prestige) but it’s still pretty good. Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti provide most of the charm, though Rufus Sewell provides a nice change of pace with his arrogance and outbursts. The mystery isn’t crafted quite as well as I would have liked, as I personally found the reveal to be somewhat obvious, at least as a whole, if not in the details. Regardless, it provides an engrossing experience that’s sure to entertain. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Robert L Engrossing, enchanting and really quite captivating, the Illusionist is a wonderful tale that is well written with first rate acting and directing. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/12/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Illusionist

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Cast & Crew

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Neil Burger

Director

Edward Norton

Eisenheim

Paul Giamatti

Inspector Uhl

Jessica Biel

Sophie

Rufus Sewell

Crown Prince Leopold

Eddie Marsan

Josef Fischer

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The Illusionist

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Movie Info

Synopsis A master magician named Eisenheim (Edward Norton) vies with Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) of Vienna for the hand of noblewoman Sophie (Jessica Biel), the girl he once loved. He brings his considerable powers to bear on the prince, as she is about to be named royal fiancee. However, a police inspector named Uhl (Paul Giamatti) tries to warn Eisenheim that he is playing a very dangerous game.
Director
Neil Burger
Producer
Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari
Screenwriter
Neil Burger
Distributor
Yari Film Group
Production Co
Michael London Productions, Stillking Films, Bull's Eye Entertainment, Bob Yari Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Violence|Some Sexuality)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 1, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$39.8M
Runtime
1h 50m
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