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The Illusionist
by Jessica Thomas
Originally a never-before-produced screenplay by Jacques Tati, director and writer Sylvain Chomet (known for his Oscar-nominated Triplets of Belleville) adapted The Illusionist into a 2-D animated feature that had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. While the original was set in Prague, Chomet takes his audience from the beautiful countryside of Scotland to the bustling city of Edinburgh. He tells the story of a man named Tatischeff, a magician who discovers that his illusionist act is not as popular as it once was. With his rabbit in tow—a memorable little character, for sure—Tatischeff travels across the country, trying to compete with rock ‘n’ roll and televisions, and failing miserably. During his stay in a town tucked deep into the Scottish coastline, he encounters a young girl who is genuinely impressed by his magic. Together, they move to the city of Edinburgh, where Tatischeff, along with other washed-up, old time performers, tries to keep his act alive and relevant. The story ends in a bittersweet way, with one of the characters experiencing a loss and the other a gain.
Personally, I would recommend this film to anyone. The group who went to see it at the TIFF screening had nothing but great things to say afterward. It was a good break from all of the 3-D hype in Hollywood right now, and the animation style was absolutely stunning to look at. We really got a feel for the setting, not just in the animation, but also the music used in the background. The characters were very memorable, and even though there wasn’t much dialogue at all, it didn’t make a bit of a difference. The tones of the voices conveyed everything, and told a poignant little tale. It was simple, yet carried the themes well throughout the film in a subtle manner. The film transported us all back to a time where the world was changing and upgrading, pushing aside the pioneers in performing arts. The fact that The Illusionist was made with 2-D animation rather than the 3-D of today’s Disney/Pixar, was a true testament to the message Chomet successfully sends.
