为了看这部电影,今天不惜赶到离家远点的AMC影院, 电影<the illusionist>在国内被翻译成<魔术师>,其实看完以后,我觉得应该翻译成<幻觉大师>更精准.

此片由著名小说改编而成,和<基度山伯爵>的复仇还有横刀夺爱的情节略为相似,只不过来得更"理直气壮",也是蓄谋已久.电影的节奏快慢恰到好处.主人公的深谋远虑,冷静沉着地与对方周旋形成很强烈的对比, 在警探的步步威逼,哭笑不得地追到最后真相终于被察觉,可能观众内心已经为主人公与女主角的"阴谋"暗自大叫巧妙,原来各位却是被主人公巧妙娴熟地视觉置换了把..情节我也不想多介绍,实在是只得一看的影片,每个场景堪称美妙绝伦的中欧十九世纪油画.

索性贴一贴刚看到的英文的评论吧.

PARK CITY -- An old fashioned entertainment set in 1900 Vienna, "The Illusionist" features a standout performance by Edward Norton as the magician Eisenheim, who may or may not have supernatural powers. Outstanding production values and mysterious subject matter give the film a surprisingly opulent feel for an independent Sundance entry, which could work to its advantage in some mainstream markets.
Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser and written and directed by Neil Burger ("Interview With the Assassin"), "The Illusionist" is like a dreamscape existing between sleep and consciousness, the old world and the new. It's no accident that the story, with an undercurrent of inexplicable psychic phenomenon, takes place in Freud's Vienna.

In a prologue, we see the young Eisenheim (Aaron Johnson), the son of a carpenter, having a chance encounter with a traveling magician and finding his calling. As a young and novice practitioner, he attracts the attention of the lovely Sophie, scion of an aristocratic family. Their bond is indeed one of those magical things that cannot be explained. Then, when her family forcefully separates them, Eisenheim travels the world learning his trade.

Years later, he is back in Vienna and the talk of the town. Sporting a distinguished goatee and displaying a great inner stillness, Eisenheim commands the grand stage. There has always been an undercurrent of mystery about Norton, so he was an excellent choice for the role, and after a relatively low profile for the past few years, he reminds you what a powerful performer he is.

One evening, a beautiful woman volunteers for a trick on stage and Eisenheim is stricken: it's Sophie (Jessica Biel) all grown up. Unfortunately, she is now the mistress of the power-hungry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Consequently, Eisenheim falls on the wrong side of the law, enforced by Chief Inspector Uhl. As the inspector, Paul Giamatti is never really sinister but with an accent and hat he is able to convey a darker side to go with his innate likeability. As Eisenheim violates the laws of the land, and perhaps the laws of nature, the story is told through the inspector's sometimes incredulous and misleading eyes.

Sophie and Eisenheim consummate their relationship, and in a fit of jealous rage the Prince slays her -- or does he? This turns out to be the central mystery of the film, which tests whether Eisenheim is a mere illusionist or possessor of some secret power. Sharp audience members may figure out the answer long before the ending, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the film.

Still, with Ricky Jay as the magic advisor, the stunts themselves -- an orange tree that blossoms on stage, a sword that stands upright in the ground, spirits from the dead stalking the theater -- are performed authentically as they would have been done at the turn of the last century. Burger purposely used little CGI for the magic and tries to follow a trick from beginning to end without cutting away, so the illusions can be experienced as they would have been by the audience at that time.

Veteran cinematographer Dick Pope captures all the grace notes and dark corners of Prague sitting in for Vienna and Ondrej Nakvasil's production design, especially for the prince's palace and the theater where Eisenheim performs, has created a stage both real and fanciful where the human heart is the most mysterious thing.