The Illusionist

A-

The Illusionist is based on a short story. Short stories, since the time of Edgar Allen Poe and O. Henry, have always been a favorite of mine because their short lives just seem to burn that much brighter. There is less background and the twists and turns are sharper given the shorter track length. Stephen King's short stories adapted into movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are favorites. Anyway, The Illusionist certainly follows in those footsteps.

The movie centers around a mysterious magician (is there any other kind?) who is viewed as a threat to the government of imperial Austria in the late 19th century. The chief detective tells the story of the magician and romantic intrigue involving the bride-to-be of the Austrian prince. Set in Vienna, but filmed in Czechoslovakia, the movie has an authentic historical look. But the film itself is treated to give it a vintage look complete with dim lighting around the edges of the frame and some intentional flicker. It is a very pretty movie to watch. This unfolding beauty makes the slow early pace easier to deal with. Soon things are moving along quite quickly, until the somewhat predictable end. It doesn't matter if you know the end, because as with any great trick, it is fun just to see how they do it.

This isn't a great movie, but it is a fine small film that should keep you entertained and interested on any rainy day like the one when I watched it. A-.

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