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The backstory of the French animated gem “The Illusionist” warrants a movie all its own: Directed by Sylvain Chomet (“The Triplets of Belleville”) from an unproduced screenplay by deceased legend Jacques Tati, the film, which focuses on an aging magician and the girl he cares for like a daughter, is steeped in both the lore of French cinema and contemporary controversy. Given to Chomet by Tati’s late daughter, the script is reportedly Tati’s manifesto of his shortcomings as a father; however, the family of his other, illegitimate daughter, whom he abandoned, claims she is the true inspiration, and insists she deserves credit as such.
But, really, while all that adds to the mystique of “The Illusionist,” you needn’t know any of it to appreciate the film’s blissful wonder and bittersweet nature. This is a superior animated picture that arrives at the end of a stellar year for the genre (it’s a 2010 awards-qualifier). Proceeding with the timeless charm and overarching melancholy of a silent classic, it contains hardly any dialogue, save the occasional mumbled declaration. Your eyes gather the particulars of the narrative along with the majesty of the Scottish setting – it’s an intimate, yet grand, example of the basic, beautiful power of the film medium.
The audience follows struggling illusionist Tatischeff (modeled after Tati) from venue to thankless venue until he winds up in Edinburgh, where he’s followed by a young girl who sneaks onto his ferry after his enchanting appearance in her remote village. No gig is too small for Tatischeff, and no detail is too small for Chomet.
In acting, even the least significant ensemble player is tasked to give his character an inner life. Such is how this film is composed. The foreground, middle ground and background have a remarkable vitality, and every last passer-by has his own quirks and history.
The emotion is as rich as the visual palette, building to a poignant close that speaks to the fears, frailties and instincts of parenthood. Ultimately, despite its one last sad piece of wisdom, “The Illusionist” proves our world knows it share of magicians.
The Illusionist
PG
Four reels out of four
Opens tomorrow at The Ritz at the Bourse
Recommended Rental
Dogtooth
Not rated
Available Tuesday
A profoundly dark, subversively funny Greek import that defies both genre and description, “Dogtooth” certainly doesn’t appeal to every taste, but its bizarre concepts and strikingly graphic presentation cause it to linger long after it’s seen. To say more would be to spoil, but know this: You’ve never seen anything quite like it. SPR
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