Have you noticed that sometimes movies with similar premises are released within the same year? Some notable examples include Dr. Strangelove and Fail-Safe, and Armaggedon and Deep Impact. Another one includes 2006's The Prestige and The Illusionist.Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is a magician in early 1900's Vienna who falls in love with Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), a woman well above his social standing. When she becomes engaged to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), Eisenheim uses his powers to free her and undermine the stability of the royal house of Vienna.
Comparing this to The Prestige, I think it's clear to say which one's better (it's The Prestige). I mean, The Illusionist is good in itself, but it doesn't come close to The Prestige. It doesn't mean I'm not recommending The Illusionist; I'm just saying The Prestige is better.
My Rating: ****
I liked both The Illusionist and Prestige about the same (at least I gave them both the same rating) but I'd probably say The Illusionist is my favorite. This was a great year for Norton as this and his other independent release, The Painted Veil, were two great films. This also showcased that Jessica Biel could actually act, too bad she's gone back to fluff roles since then.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy The Prestige more but this isn't to say The Illusionist is not a very good film. Ed Norton easily gives credibility to any movie.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about such coincidences (or, are they?) where 2 very similar films release in the same year. Interestingly though, unlike most people I liked Illusionist more than Prestige. The main reason for that is, in Illusionist, magic & sleight of hand remain exactly that, i.e. real & plausible without any dose of supernatural stuff.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is brilliant. This movie is stunning in terms of location, great consistency and nothing seemed strained.I liked this movie. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful blog with us.
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