I almost made the mistake of not watching this movie. I was treated in earlier years to some of the most boring movies ever that were billed as period pieces. Slow dramas don't interest me much.

This is not the case with "The Illusionist". The story involves a young peasant and his relationship with a young lady of the upper class. The relationship was forbidden. His talents included magic and illusions and during their separation of 15 years, he honed his craft and returned (with an alias) as a master illusionist on the stage. He gets back together with his love and then things go terribly wrong. The crown prince, who wanted her as his bride, killed her while in a drunken stupor when she said she wasn't going to marry him and walked out. Or did he?

This movie kept me captivated until the last five minutes when everything was revealed. The Illusionist stars Edward Norton (who will play Bruce Banner in the upcoming Hulk movie), Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, and Rufus Sewell. Here's the trailer: