I have 10 minutes to write a movie review because my next class starts in 10 minutes.
The Illusionist is a French animated film based on an original screenplay by French mime, actor and director Jacques Tati written in 1956. Adapted and directed by Sylvain Chomet (2003 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominee for The Triplets of Belleville), The Illusionist tells of an (Jean-Claude Donda) illusionist who is struggling to make a name for himself in a world of emerging technology such as rock ‘n roll and television. One gig takes him to an island village where he meets a young girl Alice (Eilidh Rankin) who stows away with him when he leaves. With Alice as his assistant, the illusionist struggles to make ends meet as an artisan and a caretaker.
I saw this mostly-French film without subtitles, so I didn’t understand much of what the characters said. Fortunately, the film had maybe 25 lines of dialogue. In an 82-minute film, that doesn’t mean a whole lot of talking. Fortunately, the majority of The Illusionist was dialogue-less, relying on the animation and Sylvain Chomet’s direction to make it click.
And it does. The beautiful hand-drawn animation is reminiscent of the ’60s-70s time period of the film and the characters are simply but beautifully designed. The story was simple and heart-felt. The screenplay is supposedly a personal letter to Tati’s estranged eldest daughter. The relationship between the illusionist and the young girl is simple and beautiful, with the illusionist doting on her despite his awkward economic circumstances. There are a couple of moving establishing shots of the final city, Edinburgh, at night. Chomet composed the score as well and it was perfect.
I love Tangled and thought it was gipped for not being nominated for an Oscar because of this film. After seeing it, I’m not as upset. If you get the chance to see it, I definitely recommend it. It’s not the perfect film by any means; it’s simplicity is also somewhat of a drawback. But it’s simply beautiful.
Grade: B+
