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An engrossing love letter to fans of adult animation, The Illusionist offers a fine antidote to garish mainstream fare. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Magic tricks can't compete with rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, so a French illusionist (Jean-Claude Donda) finds himself touring Scotland's shabby pubs and run-down restaurants. But things brighten for him when he meets Alice (Eilidh Rankin), a girl who believes his powers are real. Together they travel to Edinburgh for a performance, but he doesn't have the heart to reveal that his feats are merely tricks, and risks financial ruin by giving her gifts supplied by his "magic."
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Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Smoking)
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Genre: Drama, Animation
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Original Language: English
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Director: Sylvain Chomet
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Producer: Sally Chomet, Bob Last
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Writer: Sylvain Chomet
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $2.2M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
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Production Co: Django Film, France 3 Cinéma, Cine B
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Critic Reviews for The Illusionist
Audience Reviews for The Illusionist
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A magician and a cleaning girl travel and attempt to make a life at his dying art. Predominantly silent, this animated film has moments of charm, but mostly its slow pace and lack of substance makes for a dull time. The final moment, with the illusionist's self-abnegation, wreaks of over-sentimentality, and while I might attempt to identify with it, I do so in only most maudlin way. Artistically, the animation is anti-realistic and cartoonish. It's hard to take the themes as seriously as the director would wish considering how the medium is the message in this case. Overall, though it might strike a few fancies, mine is not one of them.
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Beautiful, bittersweet, and mesmerising tale of a stage magician struggling to find his place in a changing world.
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My deepest respects go to Sylvian Chomet who was capable of reviving Tati's spirit with an enamoring triumph of modern animation. <i>L'illusionniste</i> continues with the pacing trademarks of <i>Les Triplettes de Belleville</i> (2003) but feels more special. It has one of the most tender and humble hearts I have ever seen portrayed on film, once again extinguishing all possible dialogue in order to highlight body language. We are compelled to read the characters' personalities through their actions and put attention to details, because in every shot there is something happening that is supposed to be seen, like in Tati's <i>Playtime</i> (1967). In this case, however, we encounter an animation feature, thus inviting all audiences around the world - including subtitle haters - to watch carefully the animation style. The last 10 minutes are a breathtaking dream. 97/100
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A beautifully animated and very moving movie from French director Sylvain Chomet, The Illusionist is a wonderful escape from the perils of today's dumbed-down animated movies that are aimed only at young children. It's rated PG, but it never panders to a younger audience; it's very mature and thoughtful, and adults will appreciate its simplicity and power while children can appreciate the whimsical animation and subtle sense of humor. The movie tells the story of Tatischeff, a French illusionist who, while performing a show at a Scottish pub, meets a young girl named Alice who is mesmerized by his act. She believes him to be a true magician, and the two form a close father-daughter relationship. The screenplay was initially written by French director Jacques Tati in the late 1950s as a form of reconciliation with his estranged daughter who he only saw once when she was a baby, but he never produced it because it was far too personal and sensitive of a subject for him. Sylvain Chomet was clearly inspired by Tati though, and included many small nods to him, including a brief scene in which Tatischeff goes to a movie theater to watch Tati's film Mon Oncle. The Illusionist ends on an incredibly emotional and bittersweet note, perhaps in reference to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the original script. Regardless of the movie's history though, The Illusionist is a remarkably well-made animated movie that is just as good as those of Disney in its prime, and it deserves to be seen by all who can appreciate good animation and passionate storytelling.
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