The Illusionist (2010)
Genre: Animation, Drama, comedy
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Writers: Jacques Tati (original screenplay), Sylvain Chomet (adaptation)
Stars: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin and Duncan MacNeil
My score 4/5
Bravo!! That’s what they say if something is fantastic in France. And that’s exactly what I say after watching the French based true to life animation ‘The Illusionist’. This simply delightful animation journey of 80 minutes doesn’t seems to be long for a usual movie or even for it to take the hearts and minds away. But make no mistake this will be a journey of a life time.
The plot evolves around a lonely aging magician who is finding it difficult to make his usual living with the new age entertainments hitting the front stage year after year. Having no luck in doing magic in France he moves to England where he meets with a girl who is very young and gets to treat her like a daughter. In the mean time trying to make way for his magic and earning a very little buck he tries several other methods of earning but fail. For him it seems like the age of the magicians are over and the world is slowly turning back on him. While the little girl is finding her way to the new age this old man realizes that his golden age is long gone.
What I drastically love about this movie is that it truly lives and breathes. There are hardly any dialogues or any moment of excitement. Just like the old main roll, the whole movie is calm, slow but filled with little wonders. In an age where animation is used in mass scale for purely fantasy purposes this movie swims up stream and bring in realism just like never seeing before. The fantastic work involves in every department while making this to the screen is truly commendable.
And then there is animation. If you truly want to know how good it can be there is no other better way than experiencing it. Because I definitely may not be able to explain it in words. The abstract yet breath taking realism which is created by giving utmost accurate attention to detail is what make this an animation masterpiece. Every scene is a work of art on its own. If you are an art enthusiast like me, you will definitely watch this more than once and surely will be pausing from scene to scene to grab the frames details. Because it’s that good and you cannot afford to miss anything. It can be a small room with little furniture or it may be a city filled with vehicles, the animation job is ground breaking. If something comes closer I’d put my coins on ‘Secret of Kells’.
I’m glad that I watching ‘The Illusionist’. It deserves awards and even it didn’t win any even by mistake it had already won and will win the hearts and minds of many in years to come. And yes its running for Oscar’s this weekend!
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