The magic of Edward Norton. ‘The Illusionist’ showcases actor’s dashing side.
Could there be a more unlikely Hollywood sex symbol than Edward Norton? The drained complexion, the stoop shoulders, the non-existent jaw line - and don’t forget the speaking voice, which registers about one nasal obstruction shy of Andy Dick. No, this is not an actor with God-given cosmetic gifts. He is, however, a profoundly gifted physical actor.
Whether dealing from the bottom as a card hustler in “Rounders,” squeezing off revolver rounds as an alienated cowboy in “Down in the Valley” or performing mesmerizing sleights of hand as a lovesick magician in his latest movie, Neil Burger’s “The Illusionist,” Norton is always in command. His gift is ingenuity, and his masculine presence is unmistakable.
The actor gives his most dashing performance yet as Eisenheim, a 19th century illusionist who uses his near-paranormal talents to woo the love of his life and defy the tyrant who would control her. Years before, as the son of a humble tradesman, the lad was driven out of Vienna by authorities who disapproved of his romance with a high-born beauty named Sophie.
Now, like an Austrian Gatsby, he returns to the city as a celebrated showman, only to find Sophie (Jessica Biel, holding her ground like a voluptuous Lauren Bacall) in the romantic orbit of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), the scheming, corrupt heir to the foundering Hapsburg dynasty. (Author Steven Millhauser - whose short story, “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” inspired the script - based the fictional Leopold character on Austria’s factual, fated Prince Rudolph.)
Perplexed and, clearly, threatened by Eisenheim’s stage magic, Leopold invites him to perform at the palace, setting in motion a dangerous triangle of love, jealousy and defiance. “Maybe I’ll make you disappear,” Eisenheim taunts the would-be monarch, before humiliating him in front of his retinue. As always, Sewell (“Dark City”) makes for an archly satisfying villain, all crazed ambition and bug-eyed hauteur. He’s like Marty Feldman on steroids.
Determined to destroy Eisenheim, the Prince dispatches his trusted henchman, Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to expose his secrets. Despite himself, Uhl takes a shine to the upstart magician, who shares the lawman’s blue-collar upbringing and stirs his dormant sense of integrity. Whenever two actors of Giamatti and Norton’s caliber share the screen, one expects the best, and in this case they don’t disappoint.
By and by, one of the characters is murdered, and the movie abruptly trades orientation, from a handsome if harmless piece of romantic escapism to an intriguing meditation on perception and control (entirely appropriate, given the movie’s Kafka-esque trappings).
Writer-director Burger - whose faux documentary “Interview with the Assassin” was the hit of the Independent Spirit Awards four years ago - knows how to conjure atmosphere. The Prague set, standing in beautifully for 19th-century Austria, fairly reeks of hegemonic rot. Burger’s sepia-toned finish and frosted frames speak nicely to the time.
The one aspect of “The Illusionist” that doesn’t really work is the ending, a gimmicky, Keyser Söze sort of thing that takes our credulity far too much for granted. Defying a bug-eyed tyrant is easy; defying convention proves a tall order indeed.
‘The Illusionist’
Stars: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell
Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Neil Burger
Rating: PG-13 (violence and sexuality)
Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Grade: B
