"The Illusionist"

Directed by: Neil Burger Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell Rating: PG-13 (for mild suggested sexuality, mild violence) Running time: 111 minutes Best suited for: elaborate schemers Least suited for: quick-fixers What is cinema, after all, but an illusion? A false impression of danger, of merriment, of tension, of passion? In film, little is what it seems-and the better the film, the greater the fantasy. "The Illusion- ist" is one such better effort, a movie-lover's film that envelopes you with a sense of suspense and mysticism, wrapped around a compelling love story. For those of us who need not the immediate gratification of quick cinematic violence or quick, sitcom setups, "The Illusionist" draws us in and, when the time is right, performs its movie magic with deft, splendid dexterity.

A passionate young peasant lad, who dabbles in parlor magic tricks, falls for a young duchess and is driven from his Vienna homeland near the turn of the last century. Rejected and penniless, he travels the globe learning his profession and honing his craft, then returns to Vienna 15 years later as the illustrious magician Eisenheim. Edward Norton plays the intense Eisenheim, whose magic seemingly defies belief. Some already call Eisenheim more than a magician, for it's rumored he can communicate with the dead.

Acorn's Rating Guide: Eisenheim catches the attention of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who's reportedly ruthless with both his enemies and his women. When the Prince attends one of Eisenheim's theatrical performances, he brings with him his betrothed, Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), whom the magician immediately recognizes as the love of his youth.

Eisenheim again falls for Sophie, but she's trapped in her own world of duty and honor, bound to marry a powerful man who is suspicious of everyone. When Sophie dares an innocent, yet clandestine moment with Eisenheim, the rendezvous triggers a complex series of events that will change everyone's lives.

Paul Giamatti plays Chief Inspector Uhl, an affable yet driven detective who plans to ride Crown Prince Leopold's coattails to his fortune. His curiosity regarding Eisenheim grows into suspicion when he discovers that Eisenheim and Sophie shared a young love, and once murder is involved-because there is always a murder- Uhl must separate fact from fantasy. This is as ripe a role for Giamatti as his role in "Sideways," and you can see the man revel in Uhl's persona.

Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Steven Millhauser, director Neil Burger masterfully conjures up a stylized fable of forbidden romance, intrigue and revenge. There's an ethereal, dreamscape hue to "The Illusionist," made more genuine by a credible rendition of Vienna 100 years past. It is a city painted in faded hues, where an unspoken danger seems to hover just beyond every street corner. Carriage horses click-click on cobblestone, blackcoated gentlemen tip tall hats, and ornate rooms, awash in torchlight, flicker ominous shadows.

"The Illusionist" is a character-driven study, and the quality of filmmaking is reminiscent of such richly detailed films like "The Remains of the Day" and "In the Garden of Good and Evil." The film asks what is real and what is deceit. Like any feat of skilled deception, "The Illusionist's" outcome passes in the blink of an eye (too swiftly for some, so pay attention). Still, the power of magic is not how the trick is revealed, simply the revelation itself, and "The Illusionist's" payoff moment, its finale, is a worthy one.

In a nutshell: While "The Illusionist" may unfold too leisurely for some, for those of us who enjoy the pace of a well-concocted mystery, the timing creeps rather than lags. Part Baroque intrigue, part romantic thriller, but mostly a guessing game, this one's a delight for anyone easily captivated by a deft sleight of hand.