"Illusionist" conjures up fairy tale storytelling

The movie "The Illusionist" is one of those rare cinematic delights the film world rarely churns out anymore: a period piece that relies not on fancy sets and costumes but on solid performances carried by a story surely written in finest calligraphy. \nEdward Norton plays Eisenheim the illusionist, a man capable of taking off his gloves, turning them into black ravens before planting a single seed into a soil-filled pot and bringing forth a fully grown bush of oranges. While some might find his dark arts to be blasphemous, the crowds and crowns of Vienna are enthralled by it, especially Sophie (Jessica Biel), the fiancée of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). \nServing as our guide through this dark fairy tale is Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) whose job is to poke into Eisenheim's private life and discover how his tricks actually work. At the same time, he divulges to the audience a story about how Sophie's encounter with Eisenheim on the stage clearly isn't the first time they've met. \nEverything about "The Illusionist" shines like a well-polished antique. The story is mysterious yet wildly romantic, the acting top-notch, the musical and frame compositions are articulately detailed. Norton seems to be playing himself here and even as the film's central interest, Giamatti, Sewell and surprisingly even Biel outweigh him when it comes down to acting chops here. Giamatti has done it again, begging the question: how many great performances must he give before he is honored with his own Oscar statue? \nBehind the podium is composer Philip Glass, well known for his swirling compositions and ascending passages. At numerous times he becomes the driving force as the characters remain silent, wrapped in the magic of his scaling structure. Behind the camera is Dick Pope, whose cinematography carries a sense of antiquity, thanks to a flickering frame and the occasional opening/closing of the iris on a scene. I was surprised to find that Pope has worked on practically all of Brit director Mike Leigh's theatrical output and where films such as "Naked" and "Vera Drake" relied on blacks and cold grays, "The Illusionist" is full of golden tones and amber hues. \nAt the heart of it all, I feel one will enjoy "The Illusionist" more if they have some sense of film appreciation. It conjures up a sort of romantic storytelling that often remains buried thanks to all the cookie-cutter crock passing for love stories nowadays. One could even say that in today's world the film itself is merely an illusion.