And now for my next trick …

Do you believe in magic?  No, I’m not talking about an old Lovin’ Spoonful song, but rather the newly-released-to-DVD “The Illusionist” starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel.  This tale of magic and murder transports the viewer to Austria around the turn of the twentieth century to a world still largely dominated by aristocratic arrogance.  The movie opens with the story of a young carpenter’s apprentice who falls for a young lady of noble birth.  After the two are caught together, the boy leaves his small-town home and travels the world in order to learn the secrets of magic.  The young man later returns under the guise of his stage name “Eisenheim the Illusionist.”  Norton does a superb job evoking the brooding mystery that so often accompanies those who study the magical arts.  Add to this very able actor’s ability the Sepia colored camera filters and the use of old style scene fades, and the viewer is given a picture that seems to imply age.  However, the story would be quite able to carry this film without the excellent casting and intrigueing film techniques.  For some, this movie will keep you guessing until the end.  For others, you may see what’s coming, but it is still a treat to see the story unfold in a style reminiscient of “The Usual Suspects.”