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Illusionist, The

Acting chameleon Edward Norton finally finds a color he can’t match, and it’s a surprisingly conventional hue: that of a tragic romantic lead. Norton plays a magician in 1900 Vienna who discovers his childhood love (Jessica Biel) is unhappily engaged to a sinister crown prince (Rufus Sewell). Norton should set the tone for this moody, tempestuous story – an obvious model is Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights – but he never becomes that sort of roiling figure. He’s surly at best.

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