The Illusionist

The Illusionist is a tale of mystery, minor political intrigue, and romance set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, Austria-Hungarian Empire. Inspector Uhl, played by Paul Giamatti narrates the story of the stage magician Eisenheim, played by Ed Norton, and his conflict with the Austrian crown prince and illicit love of a duchess.
The illusionist is the son of a carpenter who, as a youth, loves far above his station. When the duchess is taken away from him, he travels the world, learning the secrets of stage magic. He returns to a Vienna stage and, in a twist of fate, is reacquainted with the duchess, now betrothed to the crown prince. Their secret meetings bring in the involvement of the police as the illusionist's performances seem to become increasingly seditious against the prince.
The movie is visually stunning with scene composition and color. The acting is excellent and the story keeps you guessing. Is the illusionist directly challenging the prince? Is the inspector in the prince's pocket or will he pursue a murderer beyond his reach? Will the illusionist and duchess be able to escape the prince's reach? As the plot runs, each of these questions comes up and it takes a while to figure out whether or not they're actually answered.

The movie was well reviewed by critics and received a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
Letter grade: A