Directed by Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) and based on a nearly fifty year-old unpublished screenplay by Jacques Tati, The Illusionist tells the story of a stage magician at the end of his game. It's 1959, vaudeville acts are slowly being replaced by rock 'n' roll and television. While performing in Paris, the magician loses control of his rabbit between acts and is fired. Desperate for work he heads to London, where he eventually gets a job performing at a pub in an isolated town in Scotland. While performing, he meets a young girl who becomes mesmerized by his act. The two form a father/ daughter bond during his stay in the town. After a successful tour, the magician returns to Edinburgh, only to discover that the girl followed him.
Although The Illusionist is a bit of a downer in some aspects, it is one of those movies that actually inspires hope. It's a realistic look at life, both when we're just starting to figure out where we're going and when we look back on where we've been. Neither character ever figures everything out, instead suggesting that it's all about the "now." It's a well-worn message, but one worth repeating, especially as an animated feature.
The Illusionist isn't without its comedic elements. The magician's endless struggle with his rabbit and a rock band upstaging him are really funny.
The combination of HD and hand-drawn animation is always a fun one. Although it doesn't show the same details as live action, it shows off the craft's best look. The Illusionist offers a combination of hand-drawn animation with some CG tossed in, primarily in the background. Characters aren't exactly realistic looking; they're stretched and feature exaggerated forms. However, there's still believability to the characters. There are no cartoony double takes or other "features" usually associated with art. Instead, movement is the key to everything. Characters move with the overexaggerated grace of a stage actor, which is vitally important to storytelling considering the lack of dialogue.
Though I would love to say I was surprised at the lack of extras included with the Blu-ray release, I'm really not. It's not Sony's fault; I've just never seen a foreign animated feature with loads of extras. There are a few shorts showing animators at work (which, by the way, I loved watching). One is presented as a "Making of..." feature while the other showcases the line tests.
There's also a DVD copy, though I'd take the HD transfer over the SD one any day. True, the difference isn't massive, but the colors and details are just more noticeable in HD.
As much as I want to recommend The Illusionist to everyone, I'm realistic enough to know it won't appeal to everyone. Animation fans will love the film, as will fans of foreign films. More casual fans, or viewers who see animation as merely "kids stuff," will likely be turned off by what the film is attempting to portray. Still, if you're at all interested in seeing a different side to animation, The Illusionist is a great place to start.
