REVIEWS

Telluride Review: Sylvain Chomet's Animated 'The Illusionist'

by Alex Billington
September 7, 2010

Back in late 2003, I caught a wacky French animated film that had made its way to my local theater and was getting considerable buzz. It was called The Triplets of Belleville and was an amusing tale directed by French animator Sylvain Chomet. Seven years later Chomet is back with his latest film, The Illusionist, another amusing and wholly entertaining animated film about an illusionist stage entertainer at the end of his time. It's a wonderfully charming story adapted from a screenplay written by the late Jacques Tati and may even be better than The Triplets of Belleville. Or at least I will admit that I enjoyed watching this just a bit more.

What's so wonderfully fascinating about Chomet's films are that he doesn't use any dialogue to tell the story, just a few sounds clips here and there and the actions of the various characters. The Illusionist is once again a very beautiful film done in his unique, hand-drawn animation style, which allows for the imagery to draw you in to the story. We follow the entertainer as he leaves France for London, at first, only to be upstaged by a Beatles-like band. When he plays a show at a party full of drunks, a Scottish fanatic hires him to perform at his bar. In that small town he meets a young girl that takes a liking to him after he buys her a new pair of shoes. She follows him and the two end up together in Edinburgh where they try to make a meager living.

It's a very charming, very entertaining, and very moving animated film, which is surprising considering the lack of dialogue, but that's what is so impressive. Everyone who sees it is guaranteed to leave with a smile on their face and a warmth in their heart. I love the beauty of Chomet's films, but sometimes he turns a few of the characters into caricatures that are a just a little too wacky, so much so that it feels like it's bordering on being campy when it doesn't need to be. But despite those occasional over-the-top moments, the charming story is what makes this such a tremendous success for Chomet as his follow-up to The Triplets of Belleville.

If you're a fan of Chomet and/or enjoyed The Triplets of Belleville, then The Illusionist is required viewing, no questions asked. But I encourage anyone who can admire and appreciate a beautiful animated film with a heartwarming story to check this out. Even if you're not amused by the story, which is impossible for anyone with a heart, you'll certainly appreciate its immense beauty and the storytelling prowess of Sylvain Chomet.

Alex's Telluride Rating: 9 out of 10

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Related categories: Reviews, Telluride Film Fest 10