Sprint to the Oscars - The Illusionist

I sacrificed some nap time to begin the quest this week. Took stock of what's available on DVD and jumped in!

The Illusionist
Nominated for Best Cinematography

I loved The Illusionist. A small film big on performance and style, it's probably better enjoyed on the small screen then the big. The story of Eisenhiem the Illusionist, an early 20th century magician (Ed Norton) in Prague who is reunited with his teenage love Sophie(Jessica Biel), now a duchess in a forced engagement with a cruel Austro-Hungarian Prince (Rufus Seawell). They plan to escape the Prince and his loyal Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti). There's great mystery, wondrous magic, and a few twists here, which makes this the best film I've seen this year, SO FAR! (I've still got a lot to see!)

It's up for a cinematography award and the look of the film is unique. It's color palate is sepia toned and there's occasionally black edges in the corners of the picture, along with some slow circular fades and wipes, all of which gives it an "old fashioned" feel. It's very effective and is never distracting, perfectly executed. A

This is the first Academy Award nomination for Cinematographer Dick Pope.

IMHO: Paul Giamatti deserved a Supporting Actor nod, as this is his best performance since Sideways. And he's been in a lot of pictures since then. I was starting to get tired of him a bit. You won me back Paul!