Dec 24, 2010 - The Illusionist, an animated movie directed by Sylvain Chomet, opens December 25 in Los Angeles and New York. Based on a 1956 short sketch by French comedic actor and filmmaker Jacques Tati, this is the story of a young girl and an older magician whose crossing of paths gave each what they needed the most – for her a caregiver, for him an audience.
Set in Edinburgh, Scotland in the 1950s, an unnamed magician (drawn to resemble Tati) struggles to find work at a time when his craft is no longer popular. His search takes him to remote areas in Scotland where he happens to meet a young girl who believes his magic is real and who later follows him to Edinburgh. They develop a father-daughter relationship, with him secretly working second jobs to provide her with the items she desires and with her becoming his most faithful fan. As she moves on from flats to high heels and from country outfits to city fashion, she falls in love with a young man and her relationship with the magician dwindles. The story is believed to be autobiographical, with Tati having written it for one of his daughters.
The mastery of Chomet’s work includes keeping the movie close to Tati’s own style. The 90-minute adult oriented cartoon has no dialogue. When words are spoken they become part of the background sounds rather than actual conversation. The soundtrack was written partly by Chomet and the artwork was mostly drawn by hand (over 100 artists worked on the drawing of the film), enhanced by computer graphics only sparingly.
The Illusionist has received praise for its detailed representation of the city of Edinburgh and its surroundings and for its efforts to reflect the personality of the original writer. It was just nominated for a Golden Globe award in the “Best Animated Feature Film” category.
The Illusionist is rated PG. Opens December 25 at the Laemmle’s Royal Theater at 11523 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. It will have a wider release beginning January 14, 2011. More information HERE and at http://www.sonyclassics.com/theillusionist
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