I might be on the way to earning the reputation as the nicest amateur movie critic in the world – not a single negative review – but you need to realize this is due to selectiveness – I only see movies I think I will enjoy. Moreover, my standards are different from most critics – if I am entertained, I will give the movie a good review regardless of its cinematographic quality and plot intelligence.

After this brief non-sequitur, let me return to the topic at hand. Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti are excellent. The topic is interesting as it plays off the idea of magic versus illusion in the little known (for me at least) setting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Go see it!