Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 5 -- "Edward Norton is at his best here, chalking up another boundary-stretching performance..." 08/24/2006 p.108Entertainment Weekly
"[R]igorously styled?.Every one of Norton's postures feels chosen. Yet the interesting actor has chosen so thoughtfully that we're riveted." -- Grade: B 08/18/2006 p.113-114 New York Times
"Entertaining....A pungent period folk tale that teases until the very end." 08/15/2006 p.E8 Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]onderfully staged, with Norton on fine form as the weirdly charismatic Eisenheim and Giamatti as the perfect foil." 03/01/2007 p.118 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Edward Norton brings pensive intensity to the role..." 04/01/2007 p.39 Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "[B]eautifully shot, engrossing and well-acted....It's a solid, enjoyable film..." 03/01/2007 p.116 Sight and Sound
"[W]hat THE ILLUSIONIST does well is create a compelling atmosphere, abetted by Dick Pope's nicely judged cinematography..." 04/01/2007 p.68 Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] astounding stunts and seductive cinematography....Norton is so hypnotic he could steal your wallet." 08/01/2007 p.137 ReelViews 8 of 10
The Illusionist is the kind of film that could too easily get lost in the summertime crowd, which is a shame because it's a lot a fun - an infectious mix of romance, mystery, and magic. Filmmaker Neil Burger (Interview with an Assassin), adapting a short story by Steven Millhauser, has used solid acting, capable storytelling, and deft sleight-of-hand directing to provide a motion picture that is more entertaining than one might suspect from the title. The movie celebrates magic in its many forms while testifying to the enduring power of love...Burger does an excellent job of keeping the audience guessing - is Eisenheim a master trickster or does he control supernatural forces? We don't find out the answer until the closing moments, but it's enjoyable to guess along the way. - James Berardinelli
Variety 9 of 10
A bizarre story of intrigue, magic and murder in turn-of-the-century Vienna casts a considerable spell in "The Illusionist." Impeccably crafted second feature from writer-director Neil Burger (2002's "Interview With the Assassin") will be tricky to position commercially, since it will strike some arthouse types as pulpy and conventional, and may prove too aristocratically rarefied for the general modern public...Production benefits greatly from the glorious Prague locations that stand in for Vienna, as cinematographer Dick Pope captures them, along with Ondrej Nekvasil's production designs and Ngila Dickson's costumes, with subdued richness. - Todd McCarthy
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