“From the moment we enter this life we are in the flow of it. We measure it and we mark it, but we cannot defy it. We cannot even speed it up or slow it down.”
– Eisenheim (The Illusionist)
This is another one of those movies that you might not get right away or might need to watch a second time to get anything you might have missed the first time. You definitely need to pay attention because if you step away for even a minute, you might miss something in The Illusionist that serves as a lynchpin for the whole plot. I didn’t really like it the first time, but I gave it another chance and I am glad that I did.
It is difficult to give a summary of The Illusionist without also throwing out a few spoilers. If you are a fan of movies involving magic, suspense, misdirection, murder, political interference, and corruption, this movie could be for you. There isn’t much action and it is light on traditional adventure, but the plot is an adventure in itself. You don’t know who the target of deception is until the end and the ride along the way is intriguing.
Mainly, what I love about The Illusionist is the concept of using patience and intelligence to work towards obtaining what you want. I love a movie that is filled with planning, attention to detail, and being prudent and patient enough to see the plan through to the end. We may be in the flow of life and we may not be able to defy it, but that doesn’t mean that we cannot do things to maneuver it towards more favorable outcomes.
The Illusionist is about using the hand that you are dealt, whether it is being the child of a poor cabinet maker or a king. Just because you are dealt a bad hand doesn’t mean that you cannot win or are completely out of the game. It just means that you might need to be a little more creative with the way you play. You can be dealt all the bad hands in the world and still walk away with everything. You just need to be creative, patient, and observant for opportunities to be successful,
Journeyman's Legacy 