L'illusionniste (2010) Reviews

• Animated Simplicity

  jonnyhavey2011-02-06

  Simplicity is a very interesting word that is defined in many ways. "The Illusionist" is a film that is synonymous with this word and is a visual representation of the art of simplicity. Nominated for every major best Animated Feature Film award including a 2011 Oscar Nomination birth, "The Illusionist" is more than just one of the best-animated films of the year. Will it win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film? Probably not just because "Toy Story 3" went on a record breaking spree within the animation genre, however, "The Illusionist" is just as good as "Toy Story 3" if not a little better. The film is based off of a script written in the late 1950s by a French, mime, actor, and director named Jacques Tati, but was forgotten about until Director Syvain Chomet picked up the script and ran with it producing an 80 minute animated masterpiece. The film follows the travels of a French Illusionist from town to town looking for work while performing his artistic magician craft in small shows. However, his profession is lost within the changing entertainment era causing him to lose hope, until one day while traveling in Scotland he met a young girl named Alice. Alice changes his life with her belief that he is actually a real magician seeing through the illusion of magic and personifying it into being. The Illusionist becomes a father or grandfather figure to her as they grow together down very separate paths. The simplicity of the film goes hand in hand with the authenticity and depth of the very easy to watch story. The animation is 2D brilliance with every image on the screen having deeper meaning of some sort. The film uses its filmatic space avoiding lulls and capturing the viewer's attention with its very short run time. This is achieved by the craft of Director Chomet who has created a picture that is so well done it does not even feel like its animated. This can be attributed to cinematography used with the animation. A camera seems as if it is filming the film almost as an alternative reality in a medium that would not of been as effective if it had not been animated. Authenticity is evident even with the minimal dialogue acting a throwback to a simpler era; silent film. It does not rely on its dialogue at all spreading it few and far between, however, when there is dialogue it is true to the setting and the nature of the film. It is in French and guess what? There aren't any annoying subtitles. For some viewers the fact that the film is in French and that there aren't subtitles (I bet the DVD/Blu-Ray will have the option) it may be very frustrating. Also, this is not necessarily a kids movie. Kids will enjoy the magic behind "The Illusionist", but will not appreciate it as much as adults because of the immense amount of symbolism in the film. Contemporary film seems to be all about glamor, special effects, and money leading to the creation of hit or miss films. However, film as an art is much simpler than that, which is a metaphor that resonates within the must see film "The Illusionist". Remember simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.

• You won't find a 2010 movie more visually beautiful than this one.

  Ryan_MYeah2011-02-06

  Based on an unpublished script by Jacques Tati, The Illusionist follows a magician named Tatischeff, a man whose art form of illusion is dying. He begins taking any job that comes along his way, and even while in Scotland, is accompanied by a young girl named Alice. Tatischeff and Alice develop a sort of father/daughter bond, and Tatischeff ponders his own life as well. The film is directed by Sylvain Chomet, the man probably best known for his 2003 animated art-house feature The Triplets of Belleville. One thing that I simply adore about The Illusionist is that Chomet follows closely to the phrase "Actions speak louder than words." The film's dialogue is minimal, and for it's storytelling relies almost entirely on animation, body language, and a simple, but beautiful musical score written by Chomet himself. This isn't even mentioning the animation style itself. I've seen many 2010 movies, but The Illusionist is easily the most gorgeous. The characters are given fluid and realistic movements, and the ambient surroundings of the city and hillsides are outstanding examples of art-direction. I practically had to suppress the tears (And no, I'm not kidding). You may find a movie you like better than The Illusionist, but frankly, I don't think you'll be able to find a SINGLE. DAMN. MOVIE. more beautiful than this one. I give it ***1/2 out of ****

• Artistic animation laced with subtle sadness

  FatMan-QaTFM2011-08-24

  This is the great L'illusionniste, not the Neil Burger/Jessica Biel/Ed Norton version. While I thought the ill-timed The Prestige competitor was entertaining, it's not even in the same film-making universe. For those of you who are not familiar with Sylvain Chomet's work with The Triplets of Bellville, he showed his live action skill directing that bizarre segment of Paris Je T'Aime involving mimes and the Eiffel Tower. The story is quite simple: a traveling magician finds himself in Scotland performing in a small town. A girl sees his magic and believes it is real. She follows him to Edinburgh all the while believing that the gifts, money, and food he provides for the both of them are fabricated out of thin air. The original story was written by Jacques Tati, a French mime, director, and actor from the mid 1900s. It is a love letter from him to one of his children, but it is unclear whether the story is written to his first child abandoned in infancy or to his other child with whom he never spent enough time. Either way, there is evident a sense of melancholy and guilt in the magician's care of the girl. He sneaks out to a night job to afford to buy her the coat, dress, and shoes she desires; he always produces her spending money with a magical flourish; and he never tells her to her face that she shouldn't believe everything she sees. On one hand, you want to hate the girl – she latches on to the magician and seems so naive and even greedy at some points. On the other hand, the magician chose to keep up the illusion (ooooooh!) and never exposes her to the harshness of the world. It's not until he believes she has someone to care for her that he SPOILER ALERT HERE disappears and leaves a note that simply says "Magicians don't exist." I first saw this film in January at a fairly crowded art theater. Young, old, artistic, and not were all there. When the film's last scene closed, and the credits began to roll, there wasn't a sound in the theater. Nobody spoke, nobody got up to rush out like they normally do. We all just sat there in silence, unsure of how to feel. I was sad, inspired, resentful, and had a lump in my throat. Few films have that impact on me and fewer make me run out to see the movie again. I think the biggest problem (only in that it leaves you a bit confused emotionally) is a lack of closure. Nothing really changes – we don't get to see how the girl reacts to the truth. The magician moves on with his life and career, seemingly untouched by the brief time with the girl. We want a happy ending, a kiss, a death, anything to leave us without an open end to wonder about on the way home. I have not even begun to talk about the beauty of the film. Character design was excellent, from the Brit-pop band to the angry little bunny that makes me laugh every time. More than ever, it makes me long to visit Scotland, the homeland, so I can see Edinburgh firsthand. The artistry of the film is only outdone by the subtle sadness of the story told without any real dialog. This film is instantly one of my favorites. See it in theaters, see it on DVD. See it.

• La magie de Monsieur Tati

  Rindiana2010-02-20

  All my scepticism was futile, thank God! This animated charmer really oozes Tati's peculiar brand of character comedy from every single pore. Yes, the story is more sentimental and streamlined than the master's original efforts, but Tati's central issues (such as old-fashioned life-styles and values confronted by modern technology), his eye for detail, his pleasantly reserved humanity and his wonderful sense for comedic timing and subtle gags are all left intact by the careful makers of this gem. And the rendering of the Hulot character with all his distinctive mannerisms is a joy to behold. Plus, it's good to see beautiful hand-drawn animation for a change (with sparse use of CGI techniques.) 8 out of 10 querulous white rabbits

• a different experience

  thisissubtitledmovies2010-09-03

  Sylvain Choment's latest film adapts a script by Jacques Tati. The film's unique style is only being shown in forty cinemas across the UK, its box office status falling behind the animated Pixar hit Toy Story 3. Those who are followers of Tati's work or loved Belleville Rendez-vous will inevitably be drawn to such as personal piece. As will those seeking out a different experience from Disney, Pixar and even Studio Ghibli animation. This film, however, may confuse or bore those who are looking for the usual Hollywood narrative. It is a shame the detail of this touching story will be overlooked by so many. KH