Movie Review: The Illusionist

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

Alison and I Netflixed The Illusionist recently. Like The Prestige, this film is a 2006 period piece about stage magic and interpersonal relationships. The stars are Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. Here are my opinions.

What I liked:

• The plot is quite intriguing.
• It's not clear, at least at the beginning, what Giamatti's character's motivations and loyalties are. I enjoyed this ambiguity as well as the actor's portrayal thereof.
  

What I disliked:

• The romance element seemed a little artificial.
  

Given the similarities in subject matter and date of release, I can't help comparing this film to The Prestige. That comparison is not entirely fair, since this is a very different film. That caveat aside, I found The Prestige more fascinating, but The Illusionist is certainly worth seeing. Overall, I give it 7.5 out of 10.