Before “The Illusionist” came out in theaters, it already made some noise for being the second turn-of-the-century drama about magicians to be released in 2006. However, by the time both “The Illusionist” and “The Prestige” ran their course, both saw success.

“The Illusionist” tells the story of a reclusive magician named Eisenheim (Edward Norton) who has fallen in love with a Sophie (Jessica Biel). The problem is that not only does Sophie occupy a level of society above that of Eisenheim, she’s also betrothed to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell).

What starts out as professional admiration quickly turns into jealous competition as Eisenheim and Leopold vie for Sophie’s love. When Sophie turns up murdered, both men are suspects. Eisenheim falls into seclusion, but continues to perform as a magician. Soon, he makes contact with Sophie from beyond the grave, complicating the investigation of both Eisenheim and Leopold.

What helped “The Illusionist” survive the wake of the more heavily marketed and supported “Prestige” was that it was also a decent film. Crank out two similar-plotted films with one artistically superior, and you’ll see one sink while the other swims. (We saw that twice in 2006, with “The Wild” suffering under “Madagascar’s” memory as well as “Zoom” crashing after “Sky High” make its mark.)

“The Illusionist” is a tightly-plotted film with pretty solid acting. Edward Norton, who can come across as arrogant, channels these qualities into his brooding character. However, the best performances were acted by both Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell. Giamatti is generally brilliant in almost anything he does, but the surprise comes from Sewell. He has never really seen widespread recognition, but he usually holds his own (with the exception of his cheesy performance in “Legend of Zorro”).

Sewell’s dark, wicked features make him perfect for the role of the handsome yet power-hungry prince. He is able to carry his character from the love triangle to the political undertones. Giamatti is like an old friend in the film, not really straying very far from his type but giving us his full attention throughout.

And then there’s Jessica Biel, and while she’s not a great actor by any stretch of the imagination, she’s fun to look at. Even though she spends much of the film in the restrictive and unrevealing of a 19th century lady, she works.

“The Illusionist” has enough twists and spins in the plot to keep things interesting. It’s a well-written piece, not something you’ll see all the time in Hollywood. And, without a modern setting, it is refreshingly free of political preaching and soap box sermons.

The DVD comes with a commentary by director Neil Burger as well as two behind-the-scenes segments. Unfortunately, the “Jessica Biel on The Illusionist” featurette is basically rolled up into the slightly longer “Making of The Illusionist” featurette, so it’s really just extra padding. Maybe the DVD manufacturers were looking to hook some rabid Jessica Biel fans into the special features.

Ultimately, though, “The Illusionist” is definitely worth a look beyond just the special features. And with a completely different plot that “The Prestige,” it doesn’t suffer in its shadow.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.78:1). Spanish subtitles. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.