The Illusionist (2006)

Norton plays Eisenheim, a famous magician in 1900′s Vienna. One night when he’s on stage, the Crown Prince Leopold makes his fiancee help out with a magic trick. When she approaches the stage Eisenheim instantly recognizes her; it’s his childhood friend Sophie whom his father was the cabinet maker that made her family’s furniture. But her parents forbid her to see him. He left and they lost touch. Now they’re reunited. They fall in love and he wants to runaway with Sophie but she knows that Leopold will hunt them down and kill them. She doesn’t want to marry him, and afraid of his plans to overthrow his father. So Eisenheim devises a plan, his greatest magic trick of all. Giamatti plays Inspector Uhl, hired by the Crown Prince to investigate Eisenheim. A beautiful romantic story, with great performances from Norton, Giamatti and Sewell. Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, 8/10