The Illusionist | 100 Movies Bucket List

 

Next up was a first-time watch!

I'd never heard of this film, but there's an entire 'magic' genre on the bucket list this year so I had a pretty good idea of what the theme would be.

I liked the story as soon as it began. Even taking away the magic element the story itself is really interesting, mainly because of how quickly you become invested in the characters.

I love that there's a love story at the centre of this. That's definitely the thing I enjoyed most throughout the film, and the use of magic was a great way to support this story and move it forward.

Eisenheim in particular is a really interesting character to focus on. We don't know much about him but we root for him from his first appearance in the film and stick with him until the end.

Another reason the film works so well is because of the actors involved. Edward Norton is excellent and leads an amazing cast who all play their roles really well.

I found that because magic is a major theme, the 'twist' or ending of the film is a bit predictable, and I guessed it earlier than I would have liked.

So while this isn't my favourite magic-based movie, I can understand why it was a success, and why it's listed as one of the best movies of the genre.