It’s circa 1900 and our story opens with Eisenheim the magician (Ed Norton) in front of a mystified audience in Vienna. We aren’t sure why, but the audience begins rioting when the show is instantly shut down by the Police Chief (Paul Giamatti) after a young woman ghost appears on the stage. Next we cut back in time to Norton’s childhood where he discovers his powers and he meets the love of his life, a young girl who will grow up to be Duchess Sophie (Jessica Biel) destined to marry Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Sound corny? It is, but like the locket Duchess Sophie wears around her neck, somehow it clicks just right. And the casting is brilliant – each performance out-doing the next. Giamatti is unrecognizable with a voice that sounds more like James Mason than his ornery character in “Sideways.” And while our star-crossed magician and damsel in distress feel very “Romeo and Juliet” the story rides on the skepticism one would expect in a Salem Witch trial, when the police – threatened by the mystery of Eisenheim’s powers – want him tossed out of town for good. It’s a relief to see Ed Norton back on screen, in a role that defines his brilliance. And after this magical performance, if I ever play a game of cards, I’d want him in my deck. Four tiaras
