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.

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