THE ILLUSIONIST

Monday, April 18

Director: Sylvain Chomet
Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin
Run Time: 80 minutes
Country: United Kingdom/France
Year: 2010
Rating: G (No advisory)

In his follow-up to the brilliant 2003 Film Circuit favourite, The Triplets of Belleville, and based on an unproduced original screenplay by the great Gallic comedian/ filmmaker Jacques Tati, master animator Sylvain Chomet returns with The Illusionist, a film of grace and unique beauty. A poignant work of animation, the story speaks of the universal human journey from innocence to experience and of a fading way of life. Set in Paris, London and Edinburgh in the late 1950s, when stage variety entertainers gave way to the world of fifties youth-oriented rock stars, the shabby, struggling, but dignified illusionist, Monsieur Tatischeff, is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, at garden parties and in bars and cafes. On one far-flung engagement to the Scottish isles, he encounters a guileless, poor, young girl, Alice, who believes his tricks to be, in fact, real magic.

An unaskedfor father-daughter relationship develops from the misunderstanding and the charmingly innocent Alice follows the magician back to the mainland where she helps keep his flat. Enchanted by her enthusiasm for his magic, he "conjures" up increasingly lavish gifts into existence. Desperate not to disappoint, he is unable to bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist, and secretly takes on night shifts at gas stations and department stores to support her and to keep her dream alive. All told with barely any dialogue, The Illusionist is a deceptively simple, yet timeless story. Chomet emphasizes the moments between the pair that need no words to explain their feelings. Eschewing the current 3D computer animation craze, the film is an old-school, hand-drawn beauty; shimmering in exquisite, burnished colors with particular attention paid to the study of light, both natural and incandescent. The memorable characters pay loving tribute to the world of Jacques Tati, but it is the drawings, reflecting nostalgia for a bygone era, that will charm and delight audiences.

"The first animation masterpiece of the decade. At first, French ennui meets Highland cheer; every frame teems with delightful detail. By story's end, the illusion of new romance proves more spellbinding than the romance of old-time illusion."
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly

Reviews: www.metacritic.com

Official Site: www.sonyclassics.com

Spring 2011 Film Schedule April 4 - Barney's Version April 18 - The Illusionist May 2 - Jane Eyre May 16 - West is West May 30 - Of Gods and Men June 13 - In a Better World