Set in the heart of Sigmund Freud’s Vienna in the early 1900s, this lavishly romantic tale of magic and mystery is utterly spellbinding.

In the prologue, Edward Abramovitz (Aaron Johnson), the son of a cabinet maker, encounters an elusive magician on the road and discovers his calling. Practicing sleight-of-hand, this handsome lad then catches the eye of lovely young Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Eleanor Tomlinson). The adolescents soon become secret friends who vow to run away together – until they are discovered and parted.

Skip ahead 15 years. He has become a theatrical sensation known as Eisenheim the Illusionist (Edward Norton), while Sophie (Jessica Biel) is the reluctant fiancée of arrogant, cruel Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Seward), who is plotting overthrow his father and usurp the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When Eisenheim’s show plays at a theater in Vienna, the childhood sweethearts recognize one another. Indeed, she is still wearing the intricate wooden locket that he carved for her with his photo hidden inside of it. But their subsequent clandestine meetings are observed by Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti), who duly reports his findings to the infuriated Prince, who is determined to have Eisenheim arrested and exposed as a fraud. A fascinating battle of wits ensues.

Based on a short story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Steven Millhauser, writer/director Neil Burger (“Interview With the Assassin”) conjures up a clever cat-and-mouse game among Rufus Sewell, Paul Giamatti and nimble Edward Norton, who was tutored in magic by remarkable Ricky Jay. Dick Pope’s cinematography, Ondrej Nekvasil’s production design and Philip Glass’s score add to the eerie, fanciful atmosphere.

On the Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, The Illusionist is an incredulous 9, teasing and tantalizing you with the truth while deftly juggling its candle-lit smoke and mirrors.