He’s a Magic Man

The Illusionist is one of those films that can either be staggeringly dull or eternally brilliant. It's shot in what might be called brown-and-white, a sepia tale (based on Steven Millhauser's Eisenheim the Illusionist) of love, class, and magic set in old Vienna. Edward Norton is the titular star who uses trickery as he battles a prince for the girl (Jessica Biel) and deals with a police investigator (Paul Giamatti). Cyber cineastes are giving Neil Burger's film the thumbs-up, the most common comment being that it is "beautifully shot." (Burger made the 2002 film Interview with the Assassin.) It has been killing ´em at festivals such as Sundance and Seattle. The magic is said to be especially potent, and anything starring Edward Norton grabs instant cred with most film fans. The folks at Gen Art are either impressed or intrigued enough to screen the feature (and throw an afterparty). See it tonight at 8:00 at AMC CocoWalk. Admission is free for Gen Art members, $15 otherwise. Call 305-695-8200, or visit www.genart.org.
Thu., Aug. 17, 8 p.m.