The Illusionist

[recoveryone]

I viewed this film over the weekend, and was surprisingly pleased. Its a period film so the soft look of the film adds to it. The plot was fairly solid except for the wound on the dutchess, and I will leave it at that. Don't want to spoil it for anyone else. Norton was good and Jessica Biel was, was just FINE AS HELL , but IMHO Paul Giamatti stole the movie.

[icarus]

So lets see if I understand your post... The illusionist was a good movie, mostly because Jessica Biel is Fine as hell!!! haha

[recoveryone]

lol she helped a lot

[Dusty Chalk]

Was it just me, or did she do a really good job playing an out-of-character character (for her)? Of course, they had to have the "baby got back" shot.

Potential SPOILERS follow -- I don't think I spoil anything, but just in case...

I thought it was a really excellent movie, except at the very end, where they overexplained something. I could have had it ended right after the pickpocket scene.

[topspeed]

Meh. I saw this over the weekend as well and was underwhelmed. The ending was cool, in a Kaiser Soze kinda way. Honestly, considering the talent involved (Giamatti and Norton are, IMO, two of the best out there and Biel always makes for good eye candy) I was perhaps expecting too much. I also (finally) watched The Da Vinci Code which was infinitely more entertaining.

[ForeverAutumn]

I saw The Illusionist in the theater when it came out. I enjoyed it very much, but actually found it pretty predictable. I knew how it was going to end...I just didn't know how they were going to pull it off.

[Worf101]

I saw it at the local art house theatre and felt it was one of the better I've seen this year. Didn't find it quite as predictable as others did. I wasn't sure up until the end but I like it. Thought the special effects were amazing.

Da Worfster

[Troy]

I thought it was pretty good. The convoluted plot defied logic though. there were so many steps and twists in the deception that if any of a dozen characters did something other than what was expected of them the whole thing would have fallen apart.

Fine in a movie where kismet just happens ("American Beauty", say), but in a film where that was all planned, it's unbelievable when it goes off without a hitch. See also "Arlington Road."

That, and I've never been a period flick sorta guy anyway, kept this from being really great.