© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p25
20/08/2013 16:30 par tellurikwaves
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p25
20/08/2013 16:30 par tellurikwaves
Must see mystery!
Author: (rublico) from United States
30 April 2006
I just saw this wonderful film at the San Francisco Film Festival as a surprise entry. Beautifully shot and realized, it keeps you guessing until the end as to the true outcome. It was throughly entertaining and innovative. This movie has it all: romance, suspense, star crossed lovers and supernatural illusions. Edward Norton is perfectly cast as Eisenheim The Illusionist. His accent flowed seamlessly and he simply disappeared into the role. The real revelation to me was none other than Paul Giamatti. Paul's richly accented role was not altogether unlike Tommy Lee Jones' role in The Fugitive. I found his scenes with Norton full of respect and begrudging admiration. It was an absolute joy to see these two pros at work. I will definitely be paying to see this one again when it's released theatrically.
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p24
20/08/2013 16:28 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p24
20/08/2013 16:28 par tellurikwaves
This is not a Review. This is only an Illusion.
Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA
21 August 2006
"The Illusionist" is a unique film that combines two often stale genres into something fresh: the lush romantic period piece and the "AHA!" mystery thriller (a genre M. Night Shamalyan has single-handedly run into the ground recently). Helmed by a first time director (Neil Burger), based on a short story, and featuring an eclectic cast, "The Illusionist" had the perfect set-up to be a monumental disaster. With a graceful slight-of-hand, it ends up being something very good.
As with any run-of-the-mill period piece, there's a lavish attention to the set designs and costumes, here representing late nineteenth century Vienna. Director Burger puts a nice spin on the same-old, same-old with an acute attention to lighting (especially in the dreamily over-exposed flashbacks) and old fashioned camera techniques (witness the circular camera's eye closing to transition from scenes) to give the film the feel of being a fond memory of a classic movie from a bygone era.
The central romance where Edward Norton's title character and Jessica Biel's Dutchess are star-crossed lovers kept apart because of class and society, had all the makings of a snore-inducing cheese-athon. Executed in an understated manner that services the greater plot, it ends up being anything but. Norton's performance, especially in the second half of the film when he turns into a man of very few words, had the potential to be one-note. As an actor, he speaks volumes with his eyes. Biel, a former teen idol and TV star, seemed a horrific choice for this role. She pulls of the nifty trick of being quite good. Even better are Rufus Sewell as the tyrannical crown-prince and Paul Giamatti as the chief inspector.
Using a short story as the source material, characterizations had the potential to be paper-thin, but these seasoned veterans make the most of their lines and scenes adding terror, humor, and gravitas through their vocal and physical deliveries where lesser actors would've been wooden and cold. The entire cast also worked together very well utilizing their odd, vaguely European and aristorcatic accent. Everyone used it so consistently and earnestly, it didn't seem to matter after awhile that the accent was unnecessary.
A more over-eager or pretentious director may have completely sabotaged the fantastic ending to "The Illusionist" and cheated the audience. Handled deftly by Burger, the grande finale where "all is revealed" is a wholly organic and satisfying conclusion that rewards the patient viewer and fulfills the lofty promises of the themes presented throughout the work.
"The Illusionist" boasts an excellent music score from minimalist composer Phillip Glass that easily rivals his great work done in "Candyman" and "The Hours." Norton and Giamatti treat us to some of the best "staring" since the days of silent films. The look on Giamatti's face and the positioning of his raised eyebrows as he watches Norton perform his illusions coupled with Norton's eyes as he pulls off his tricks are priceless.
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p23
20/08/2013 16:26 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p23
20/08/2013 16:26 par tellurikwaves
Norton is mesmerizing
Author: maria-309 from United States
9 August 2006
9 August 2006
*
I am a long time fan of the old theatre magicians and have been fascinated by the wave of spiritualism that swept both continents around the turn of the last century. This movie plays off those real life happenings, with the added twist of court and political intrigue. The movie is lush - as a period piece should be - with terrific performances from a true ensemble cast. Edward Norton has the charismatic gaze that makes you believe in every thing he does. Jennifer Biel is tragic and compelling as a woman trapped by society and dubious duty.
I am a long time fan of the old theatre magicians and have been fascinated by the wave of spiritualism that swept both continents around the turn of the last century. This movie plays off those real life happenings, with the added twist of court and political intrigue. The movie is lush - as a period piece should be - with terrific performances from a true ensemble cast. Edward Norton has the charismatic gaze that makes you believe in every thing he does. Jennifer Biel is tragic and compelling as a woman trapped by society and dubious duty.
*
Paul Giamatti - who seems to be in every other movie these days - is wonderful as a conflicted man unsure of whom he serves. Rufus Sewell, as the Crown Prince Leopold, is that man, and he embodies the boo-hiss villain. Vain and driven, he is larger than life and not one to cross, as the illusionist comes to find out. The music of Philip Glass fits the scenes and add just the right amount of tension. Plus the horses are very old world with large hooves and a heck of a lot of presence. A compelling and beautiful film.
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p22
20/08/2013 16:23 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p22
20/08/2013 16:23 par tellurikwaves
Like the Moody Blues song asks--"real or just an illusion?"
9 August 2006 | by mkane5 (United States) – See all my reviews
*
Kind of a strange movie but very original and entertaining! It was a Gothic-romance period-piece drama-mystery, and quirky characters and a bizarre--or at least unusual--plot held my interest. Edward Norton's character plays an inscrutable but romantic master illusionist. But is he just a master illusionist or has he developed powers to effect the creepy conjuring of those who have passed on? (Regardless, the guy is so easy on the eyes.)Jessica Biel is beautiful and good in her role but I couldn't help thinking, "Hey, Jessica, Scarlett Johanssen called. She wants her lips back."
Kind of a strange movie but very original and entertaining! It was a Gothic-romance period-piece drama-mystery, and quirky characters and a bizarre--or at least unusual--plot held my interest. Edward Norton's character plays an inscrutable but romantic master illusionist. But is he just a master illusionist or has he developed powers to effect the creepy conjuring of those who have passed on? (Regardless, the guy is so easy on the eyes.)Jessica Biel is beautiful and good in her role but I couldn't help thinking, "Hey, Jessica, Scarlett Johanssen called. She wants her lips back."
Paul Giamatti bothered me just a tad at first because he spoke in a near-whisper and had a scruffy beard so you couldn't read his lips. He got louder and his character developed pretty darned well, thank goodness. Actually, he was fantastic (so what else is new?). The makers of this movie did the same thing the makers of Little Miss Sunshine did--made me want to see the film twice, but for different reasons: LMS because the first time I saw it, I laughed so hard I cried, and I really needed a laugh again (and got it); The Illusionist because I was like the audience for the title character's shows the first time I saw it--
just kind of naive and awed and staring up at the action with my mouth hanging open. So I'll have to see it again and pay attention. Kind of like when my daughter told me to go see The Sixth Sense again and pay attention to what Bruce Willis's character was wearing. (Plot-wise, this is unrelated, folks--just a movie watcher's analogy.)
At first, the old-fashioned circle wipes seemed a little distracting, but in retrospect, they were part of the excellent movie-making decisions that created the illusion of time and place in this film. A really good story with really good art direction and really good actors, costumes and settings. Definitely worth a go-see--or two!
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p21
20/08/2013 16:21 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p21
20/08/2013 16:21 par tellurikwaves
La critique US des spectateurs ImdB
Brilliant movie, exceptional all around
Author: Corey Shuman (cshuman@goldrushexpeditions.com) from Draper, Utah
26 January 2006
26 January 2006
This movie was stunning in many aspects. Visually in terms of locations, inside and out, there was great consistency and a nothing seemed strained. The story weaved fluidly through these locations and seemed to make the locales a vital part of the story.
*
Ed Norton was mesmerizing a superb performance that allowed the story to unfold seemingly at his discretion Jess Biel was very believable and stunningly beautiful. Paul Giamatti (sp) played an admirable role and took the viewer by surprise in many elements of the story.
*
The story was fresh and imaginative, very intriguing. Not as predictable as you would think. We saw this at a Sundance screening and the entire theater of 500+ seats was full and when the movie was over all you could hear was excited and happy chatter, lots of applause as well. Director came out for a Q&A after and was very amiable in answering questions. Highly recommended!!!
*
Ed Norton was mesmerizing a superb performance that allowed the story to unfold seemingly at his discretion Jess Biel was very believable and stunningly beautiful. Paul Giamatti (sp) played an admirable role and took the viewer by surprise in many elements of the story.
*
The story was fresh and imaginative, very intriguing. Not as predictable as you would think. We saw this at a Sundance screening and the entire theater of 500+ seats was full and when the movie was over all you could hear was excited and happy chatter, lots of applause as well. Director came out for a Q&A after and was very amiable in answering questions. Highly recommended!!!
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p20
20/08/2013 16:18 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p20
20/08/2013 16:18 par tellurikwaves
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p19
20/08/2013 12:20 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p19
20/08/2013 12:20 par tellurikwaves
La critique de DevilDead (fin)
Robert-Houdin, on le retrouvera justement dans un petit documentaire français d’un peu plus de vingt minutes. L’éditeur a eu l’excellente idée de l’inclure puisque le personnage principal du film est grandement inspiré par Robert-Houdin. Si l’on pourra voir à redire concernant les petites saynètes de magie, pas vraiment dans le ton, entrecoupant le déroulement du documentaire, il faut reconnaître que cet avant-goût du personnage est passionnant. On pourra d’ailleurs y découvrir que pas mal des tours, y compris celui de l’oranger, réalisés dans L’ILLUSIONNISTE prennent leurs racines dans ceux de l’illusionniste français.
*
Le Making Of n’est, quant à lui, pas franchement informatif. Sur un peu moins de quatre minutes, il va donc mêler des interventions de différents interlocuteurs, plus particulièrement les acteurs, et survoler de façon très promotionnelle les points forts du film. Cela s’avère déjà plus intéressant lorsque l’on découvre une interview de Edward Norton enregistré lors du Festival de Deauville. L’acteur a, cette fois, un peu plus de temps pour s’exprimer même s’il est en mode promotionnel dans un tel contexte.
Le Making Of n’est, quant à lui, pas franchement informatif. Sur un peu moins de quatre minutes, il va donc mêler des interventions de différents interlocuteurs, plus particulièrement les acteurs, et survoler de façon très promotionnelle les points forts du film. Cela s’avère déjà plus intéressant lorsque l’on découvre une interview de Edward Norton enregistré lors du Festival de Deauville. L’acteur a, cette fois, un peu plus de temps pour s’exprimer même s’il est en mode promotionnel dans un tel contexte.
Deux scènes coupées sont présentées l’une après l’autre. Aucune information n’est donnée quant à leur suppression du montage final. Toutefois, on peut facilement supposer que les deux tours de magie présentés étaient un peu trop « irréaliste » techniquement et donc tranchaient avec l’aspect rationnel du film. Les derniers suppléments sont une sélection de bandes-annonces dont celle de L’ILLUSIONNISTE. Notons enfin que deux d’entre elles, LE NOMBRE 23 et LITTLE CHILDREN, sont présentés automatiquement à l’insertion du DVD.
Antoine Rigaud
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p18
20/08/2013 12:16 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p18
20/08/2013 12:16 par tellurikwaves
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p17
20/08/2013 12:14 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p17
20/08/2013 12:14 par tellurikwaves
La critique de DevilDead (4)
L’édition française de L’ILLUSIONNISTE affiche une image 16/9 d’excellente facture. L’image retranscrit de manière solide les teintes volontairement sépias et dorées de la photographie d’origine. Un joli rendu qui n’est entaché que par de très rares et fugitifs effets de solarisation ou quelques fourmillements ici ou là.
La musique caractéristique de Philip Glass bénéficie de deux mixages en Dolby Digital 5.1 qui sont, eux aussi, de grande qualité. Les deux pistes proposent, bien évidemment, le choix entre la version originale sous-titrée et le doublage français.La partie supplémentaire donne l’occasion de découvrir un commentaire audio du réalisateur Neil Burger. Le cinéaste va démonter son film pendant toute sa durée en s’intéressant le plus souvent au scénario et à ses personnages.
Parfois, cela s’avère d’ailleurs peu intéressant puisqu’il ne fait qu’exposer les évidences d’un scénario finalement plutôt simpliste. Il reviendra toutefois sur la nouvelle d’origine et sa façon de la développer de manière à en tirer un film sans oublier de donner diverses anecdotes que ce soit sur le tournage ou bien les illusionnistes tel que Robert-Houdin.
© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p16
20/08/2013 12:12 par tellurikwaves
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© DR - L'ILLUSIONNISTE de Neil Burger (2006) p16
20/08/2013 12:12 par tellurikwaves
La critique de DevilDead (3)
Avec son histoire romantique, L’ILLUSIONNISTE se rapproche assez nettement du film Hollywoodien de la grande époque. Grands décors, luxueux costumes et aristocratie... L’ILLUSIONNISTE est à l’évidence un film glamour. Un terme qui couplé à « classique » ne fait plus vraiment bon ménage de nos jours. Il n’en reste pas moins que L’ILLUSIONNISTE réussi à narrer agréablement son histoire avec le concours, qui plus est, d’interprètes de qualité tel que Rufus Sewell, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel et Edward Norton.
La magie dans le film servira autant à donner une aura particulière à son personnage qu’à résoudre le conflit amoureux et politique de son intrigue. Dans ce dernier cas, il n’y a rien de très neuf à l’horizon, l’utilisation de trucs divers pour manipuler et arriver à ses fins fut déjà utilisée à de nombreuses reprises à l’écran que ce soit dans un registre « magique » ou complètement réel (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, LE MAGICIEN, F.X. EFFET DE CHOC…).
Pour en revenir à la comparaison avec LE PRESTIGE, on sera d’ailleurs assez surpris qu’en essayant de créer un personnage aux pouvoirs mystérieux, le film se termine de la manière la plus terre à terre qui soit. Tout le contraire dans LE PRESTIGE et il faut bien reconnaître que l’un est l’anti-thèse de l’autre. En tout cas, L’ILLUSIONNISTE n’a certes rien de révolutionnaire dans sa forme, ni même dans le fond, mais le charme opère tout de même très largement pour nous offrir un très plaisant et mignon spectacle.