Based on the short story of the same title by Steven Millhauser and co-written by him and director Neil Berger, THE ILLUSIONIST is actually a love story that evolves into a cat-and-mouse chase between Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) and illusionist Eisenheim (Edward Norton) of the film’s title.  It all begins with the love affair between the illusionist and Sophie (Jessica Biel), the romance disallowed as the pair derives from different social classes.  When separated, they swear their life long allegiance.  The story continues – rather abruptly, many years into the future when the Prince Crown Leopold (Rufus Sewell) charges Inspector Uhl to unmask and imprison the man behind the trickery.  Sophie, now engaged to the Crown Prince rekindles the previous love affair with Eisenheim.

The magic, period piece, romance and mystery sounds better on paper than executed on screen.  Filmed in shades of yellow akin to the colour of faded photographs, director Berger and his crew are effective in the creation of Vienna in the 1990’s.  Actor Norton, recently seen in the other indie feature DOWN IN THE VALLEY provides an energetic enough performance matched only by the desperation portrayed by Paul Giamatti (SIDEWAYS, LADY IN THE LAKE) as Uhl in exposing his victim.  The main trouble is the flow of the narrative.  The time shift results in the strength of the romance losing its effect.  Though the cinematography, sets and costumes are a sight for sore eyes, Berger moves his film at a snail’s pace.  The reason for Leopold to unmask the illusionist is not strong enough.  Berger inserts Uhl’s curiosity of the trickster’s secret as an additional element to his desperation – though it hardly works.

The end result is a pretty looking picture that fails to enthrall because of narrative weakness and discontinuity.  THE ILLUSIONIST assumes that the majority of the audience is keenly interested in the art of illusions but for those who are not, sitting through THE ILLUSIONIST may result in even more of a chore.