“The Illusionist” was nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s directed by French animator Sylvain Chomet, who also made 2003’s Oscar-nominated, “The Triplets of Belleville”.
It’s the story, set mostly in Scotland, of an old, traveling magician who realizes that his act is no longer popular. At one performance he meets a young girl, who becomes fascinated by him. She decides to join him on the road and they settle in Edinburgh and live among other stage performers: a clown, a ventriloquist, acrobats. But everyone is having a tough time, as modern music has taken-over the entertainment world. But this doesn’t stop the illusionist and the girl from forming a very interesting relationship.
Even though it’s a foreign film and geared toward adults I expected “The Illusionist” to be light-hearted and upbeat. It turns out to be the complete opposite. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad film by any means, but the story is sad and quite depressing. It deals with some heavy themes. I thought it was a little too heavy at times.
Now to the good stuff: “The Illusionist” is a beautiful looking film. The hand-drawn animation is breath-taking. And the score is simple, but very effective. There’s very little dialogue so no need for subtitles, a great decision by Chomet.
In a way you can compare “The Illusionist” to “Toy Story 3”, which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. Both stories focus on the idea of change. But, obviously, it’s dealt with in two entirely different ways: “TS3” through comedy and action, “The Illusionist” through sadness and grief.
The movie is rated PG, for the mature themes and some smoking scenes. There’s nothing that parents need to worry about if kids want to see it, but the film is clearly made for adults. If you’re in the mood for a quality animated film that’s totally different than what the Hollywood studios produce, and you aren’t expecting a lot of laughs, then this is for you.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “The Illusionist” gets a B.