Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist debuted at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival and marks the director’s first feature animation since the Oscar-nominated The Triplets of Belleville in 2003 and it received loads of positivity out of the festival.
At Variety, Leslie Felperin says audiences “who don’t expect animation to be aimed squarely at kids or to feature the latest technology will be utterly entranced by The Illusionist‘s old-school magic, but less adventurous viewers may need some persuading.”
In Contention reviewer Guy Lodge gave it four-out-of-four stars calling it a “masterpiece” and “a rare case of one of the fest’s most eagerly awaited titles managing to meet, and even subvert, expectations.”
Kirk Honeycutt at The Hollywood Reporter is probably the least affectionate, but even his review is positive saying, “It’s a mood piece, and that mood is melancholy,” and that it “looks like a more rarefied adult cartoon that will have loads of invites to festivals, but theatrical exposure outside Europe might be scant. Chomet’s name alone assures some level of distribution on several platforms, but buyers might be wary this time.”
While I originally forgot to add it to my early list of Animated Feature Film Oscar contenders, I have since included it and The Illusionist is almost certain to be one of the most likely films to be nominated at this year’s Oscars.
The film is based on an unproduced script by French comedy legend Jacques Tati and its main character most certainly resembles the late director and star of M. Hulot’s Holiday, Mon Oncle and Play Time. The Illusionist details the story of a dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars. Forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theaters, garden parties and bars, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever.
Today the Russian trailer for hit the Internet and I have included it for you directly below. You can also check out a French featurette for the film (if anyone can provide a translation that would be great) right here and five images from the film can be viewed in our gallery here.
The Illusionist hits French theaters on May 5 and does not yet have an American distributor. Sony Pictures Classics picked up The Triplets of Belleville and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar move with this one.
