WRAP SESSION:
WFF and Images to Screen The Illusionist

Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton in The Illusionist

On Sunday, July 16th, WFF and Images Cinema will jointly present Neil Burger’s much-awaited new film The Illusionist with Naomi Geraghty, the film's editor, in attendance. Starring Academy Award nominees Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti as well as Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell, this is a supernatural tale blending romance, politics, and magic in Vienna of 1900. It pits mysterious stage magician Eisenheim (Norton), against Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell), heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Caught in the middle is Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti), ordered by the Prince to expose Einsenheim but fascinated by the mesmerist’s gifts which his rational mind can’t explain. And there's the beautiful and enigmatic Sophie von Teschen (Biel), whose engagement to the Prince is shaken when the magician meets her and tries to unlock the dark secret of the monarchy which she holds.

WFF director Steve Lawson saw The Illusionist at Sundance and immediately worked to get it for the Festival's season this fall, but the film is slated for release in August. Happily, the distributors agreed to make it available for this special off-season event, a brunch screening (bagels, o.j., coffee and tea) at 11:00 a.m. on July 16th. Naomi Geraghty, who edited the film and was the editor on the acclaimed Hotel Rwanda, will be present for a Q-&-A afterward.

Rufus Sewell

Director Neil Burger's screenplay is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser's "Eisenheim the Illusionist."  Burger, who directed the acclaimed feature Interview with the Assassin (2002), acknowledges that adapting the story into The Illusionist was a challenge. "How do you tell the story of Eisenheim - a man who's an enigma? How do you get inside his head without giving away his secrets?"

Burger did extensive research into the magic performed in fin-de-siecle Vienna. Many of the tricks in the film are based on real illusions performed at the time - Edward Norton actually learned how to do them while developing his performance - and reinforce Burger's central theme: how we perceive truth and illusion, and how the border between them can be blurred. It's not so much about "how" the Illusionist does what he does, but about the eerie sense that nothing is what it seems.  

The four leading actors have a remarkable string of credits among them. Norton received Oscar nominations for Primal Fear and American History X, while Paul Giamatti - who began his acting career at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1988 - was likewise nominated for Cinderella Man and won critical praise for his work in Sideways and American Splendor. Biel received fine notices for her performances in Ulee's Gold and Elizabethtown, while Sewell has scored in Carrington, Cold Comfort Farm, and A Knight's Tale. The film is produced by Michael London, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Bob Yari, and Cathy Schulman.

Jessica Biel and Edward Norton

“We're thrilled to have The Illusionist,” notes Lawson. "It was one of my favorite titles at Sundance this year, and promises to be a memorable off-season event for WFF in the tradition of Shadow of the Vampire at MASS MoCA and For Love or Country and The Quiet American at Images."

Tickets are $12, with discounts available for Images members ($10) and students ($5). They may be purchased at the door, or reserved in advance by calling Images' box office.