ThiefHott Too much of everything

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

elicopperman Renowned French filmmaker and comic actor Jacques Tati has been lauded for his unique comic style of crafting movies, making him, as David Bellos puts it, "the epitome of what an auteur is (in film theory) supposed to be: the controlling mind behind a vision of the world on film". So as for this movie in particular, while he did write a screenplay for it back in the 1950s as a love letter to his estranged eldest daughter, it was ultimately never produced throughout the rest of his life. Then, fast forward to the beginning of the 21st century, when the director of The Old Lady and the Pigeons and The Triplets of Belleville, Sylvain Chomet, bought the rights to the original script in accordance with Tati's family and adapted it into his own work that still pays tribute to the late legend. Along with receiving huge admiration from animation and film buffs alike, this film could be the greatest tribute to the acclaimed comedic filmmaker.Set in Europe in 1959, the plot itself details a struggling French magician who visits an isolated community around the UK and meets a young lady named Alice who believes that he is a real magician. Right off the bat, what makes the film truly unique from most animated ventures is not just how realistic it is, but by how little it uses dialogue. Chomet really lets the character's actions speak louder than words, and the real humor comes from the character interactions and movements than any witty banter or in jokes. Similar to Belleville, the whole movie plays out like a slapstick comedy of the 20s and 30s, minus much upbeat music, and the acting sells this movie as a visual delight.However, while the movie is quite humorous, it is also quite dramatic, down to the movie basically playing itself as a cold grim reminder of how tough life can be to fading artists. The most dramatic aspects come from the relation between Tatischeff (the magician) and Alice, as they try to struggle living impoverished lives while trying to make it out there, and one definitely wishes they could just succeed in their lives. They essentially display a father/daughter bond with each other, from Tatischeff working multiple jobs to support Alice and himself, to buying her expensive clothes she desires. It's upon realizing this where the film practically represents the world's unfair realities of how no matter how much you love someone or even your passion, you can't hold on to them forever, and without spoiling anything, let's just say the movie doesn't have the happy ending you wish to see.On a brighter note, the animation is fantastically gorgeous to look at. As stated before, the smooth character acting drives the movie forward, but the characters all have distinct albeit slightly grotesque caricatured designs that make them stick out from other animated films, with Tatischeff even being modeled after Tati himself. Not to mention, the settings and environments of France and Edinburgh are stunningly eye dropping, as they look like book or museum illustrations come to life, complete with a relatively realistic color scheme that perfectly depicts the world's bleak and realistic nature. Alongside a vibrant usage of colors and effects, even the occasional moments of computer generated imagery are barely noticeable. I don't know how Tati would have made an animated feature, but I'm sure it would be almost if not just as beautiful looking as this.Even if Jacques Tati never got his original screenplay produced, what we ended up getting is a beyond satisfying result. With a perfect dramedic tone, realistic characters, well thought out acting and highlighted animation, The Illusionist may stand the test of time as one of the most beautiful albeit somber animated films of all time, let alone as a lovely tribute to Monsieur Tati. If you're a fan of the late filmmaker's work or you're in the mood for a mostly dialogue free and realistic animated feature, then this should be right up your alley. If there is any animated film that should be on the criterion collection, it should be this one. After all, nearly all of Tati's work is, so there should be no stopping this underrated gem for getting all the love from film buffs alike.

accounts-901-234390 Words cannot express how beautiful this film is, both in visuals and in content.I watched it, stupidly expecting a live action film, but what I got... Well, it's difficult to describe.The animation is the best I've ever seen, I have no idea how they did it, but so often you have to remind yourself that it's not real despite the fact that the art work is stylised.Each shot contains details that only add to the story, and each shot is like a work of art.This is a beautiful film, watch it as soon as you possibly can.

brchthethird As much as hand-drawn animation is being supplanted by computer animation, there are still artists who know the power of the art form and give us beautiful images that go along with great stories. Sylvain Chomet (LES TRIPLETTES DE BELLEVILLE) has done just that with THE ILLUSIONIST (aka L'ILLUSIONNISTE, and not to be confused with the 2006 Edward Norton film). The story is rather simple. It is about an out-of-work French magician/illusionist who goes to Scotland and meets this young woman who is convinced that his "magic" is real. Over the course of the film, you see a friendship develop between them as his livelihood becomes less viable as a means of support and she comes into her own as a woman. Aiming for subtlety, there is hardly any dialogue (intelligible dialogue, at least) and the images are the primary driver of the story. It's also quite touching and heartfelt. You really feel for this aging man who sees the life he's built for himself as a magician grow smaller and smaller as people now go to the music halls to see rock bands instead of illusionists, ventriloquists and clowns. By the same token, the woman has to discover that the "magic" isn't what it appears to be and, in a sense, grow up. From a technical standpoint, the animation was just beautiful and a sight to behold. Sylvain Chomet has a very distinctive, impressionistic approach to character design that makes each frame look like it could be a watercolor painting. Also worth mentioning is that the film is based on an unpublished script by Jacques Tati. Although I've yet to see anything by him, the comedic sensibility on display here makes me want to do so really soon. When all is said and done, THE ILLUSIONIST is a mature, wonderfully animated film with plenty of humor and heart that every animation fan should see.

rjciez I really liked "The Triplets of Belleville", so I decided to watch this movie. I have to say though, that even when the animation was captivating (beautiful landscapes, and a lot of details), the plot was not in my opinion. Maybe it is because of the fact that it is a semi-silent movie, and those are not my favorites though. The score though was great, it helps to stay focused in the movie, even in the absence of dialogue.I think my main issue, was the sense of hopelessness after watching the movie. As a reviewer in Amazon wrote, when you finish watching the movie, you just feel like "if you just got punched in the soul".However, I think if the movie can transmit such strong feelings, it definitely is fulfilling the purpose of transmitting a message.Score (7)