The Illusionist (2010)
Dir: Sylvain Chomet
Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin
The premise is simple. The old world of wonder and illusion is being cruelly overpowered by rock and roll, screaming girls and 'The Industry.' Old is good, new is bad.
The Illusionist is a dying breed and finds himself systematically rejected and chucked out of the grand concert halls of his hey-day and into grimy pubs and garden parties. With his grumpy rabbit, he trundles off to Scotland in search of work. Staying in a cosy pub in the highlands, he meets Alice, a little girl who truly believes in his magic. They set off on an adventure to the big city, where the illusionist is forced to beg and borrow in order to keep his little companion's dreams alive.
The film is simultaneously beautiful and tragic. The characters are over-exaggerated caricatures of reality, but somehow believable. However, it is the artwork in the animations which demands the greatest praise. The scenery is incredibly detailed - almost real in many scenes. The film is virtually silent, with very little dialogue and no soudtrack to speak of. But there is great power and storytelling in the movements, actions, colours and images that play out on screen.
My rating **** 4/5 stars
Recommendation: This is a genuinely engaging animation, but if you are not a fan of ciné or prefer your characters to garble Sorkin-esque dialogue, then this is probably not your bag.
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