The Illusionist

Writer/director Neil Burger keeps this sumptuous period melodrama grounded despite the many sleights of hand of its protagonist. Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is a magician in 1900 Vienna, a time and place where new schools of thought are being espoused by the likes of Sigmund Freud and Gustav Mahler. But is this mysterious magician an extremely adept "illusionist" or is something else at play? We're sure of one thing: He yearns for the love of Sophia von Teschen (Jessica Biel), a beautiful duchess who was once his childhood sweetheart. After many years apart, Eisenheim finds that she's currently on the arm of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a man so deluded by power that he's willing to overthrow his own father to get what he wants. Burger smartly presents The Illusionist's fantastical elements -- it's based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Millhauser -- in an organic manner: subtle atmospherics trump elaborate special effects. Like his head-scratching pseudo-documentary debut Interview with an Assassin, Burger's latest delights in playing with an audience's imagination. (Jason Gargano) Grade: B+