The Illusionist

[ronzo]

I had never heard of this movie until I randomly checked IMDB last Friday to see it advertised on the front page. I watched the trailer, and now I simply have to see it.

It stars Ed Norton as (surprise!) an Illusionist who seduces the betrothed of some prince dude. The prince has his chief inspector (Paul Giamatti) go after the Illusionist, etc. etc.

Anyway, it looks fantastic (I've been fooled by trailers before, but I love Norton and Giamatti, so I hold out hope). The only problem is that, despite being listed everywhere on the net as having gone into wide release last Friday, it isn't showing anywhere near me. It doesn't seem to be showing anywhere in North Carolina, and I checked Atlanta, which tends to get limited release stuff because of its comparably larger size than Charlotte, and no dice.

I really don't want to wait for DVD on this one, but it looks like I might have to.

I wonder if, perhaps, the release date was pushed back but not updated on the sites I check or if the limited release was last Friday and the wide release is yet to come.

Has anyone else seen it or know about it? Is it showing in your area? I'm very curious.

[StarOpal]

According to the previews currently on TV it's, I believe the phrase was, "Now in limited release." The "Now" indicates a possible wide release later.

[devilndisguise]

Absolutely DYING to see this movie...Full release happens September 1st... (and I decided I didn't want to drive an hour to see it, so i'm waiting until then)...

[ronzo]

Thanks for the info. I thought it odd that it was listed as being in wide release in several places online even though it's obviously not showing anywhere near me.

Last night I saw a cardboard advertisement for it in a nearby theater, at which time I realized it would be coming out.

September 1st... marking that down now.

[deusdragonexx]

Yeah, I heard about this awhile ago and I've come to the conclusion that Edward Norton is absolutely sinister with that goatee and all. It's creepy. And I've dug Rufus Sewell since Dark City. So I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

[Big T]

deusdragonexx said:

Yeah, I heard about this awhile ago and I've come to the conclusion that Edward Norton is absolutely sinister with that goatee and all. It's creepy. And I've dug Rufus Sewell since Dark City. So I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Y'know, I think Edward Norton is just sinister and creepy period. Sure he managed to be charming in Keeping the Faith but I still wouldn't have been surprised if part way through the movie he went all crazy nut job on eveyone.
But him and Mr. Giamatti have seduced me into being extremely interested in this film, I can't wait to check it out.

[ronzo]

Okay, I saw this on Friday night, and I thought it was great. The story was engaging; the directing was creative, and the acting all around was very good. Jessica Biel even managed to not be nauseating. Ed Norton was impeccable, as always, but Paul Giamatti steals this movie. He made what could have been a very flat character and heaped layers on top of each other.

This isn't a life-changing type of film or anything, but it's great entertainment. I highly recommend it.

[sunsetryder]

I also saw The Illusionist, and, well....I didn't really like it.
I'm not sure why. My mom loved it, but something about it made me just go "Bleeah", for lack of a better word. Most of the acting was good, the sets and story were beautiful, the music was beautiful, but something just made it fall flat.

I guess I'll have to put it down to Jessica Biel. I didn't quite find her nauseating, but something about her made my eyebrow tick. And I found the ending a little irritating. I won't say what it was, but I personally think it would have profited without the twist. Once again, maybe this is due to dislike of Jessica Biel.

My favorite part would have to be the flashback sequence where they show how Edward Norton became the Illusionist, and how he met Jessica Biel, and how they were separated. I enjoyed Eleanor Tomlinson's acting a lot more than Ms. Biel's, and in general though they were interesting sequences.

And, yeah, maybe it bugged me that the characters just instantly fell in love, without character development. Still, I bought it until we had to see Jessica Biel again.

So I would say, see it, but buy enough popcorn to distract you when the screen is devoted to Jessica Biel. And if you're a little frustrated for no reason afterwards, well, I'll know I'm not alone.