DVD Review: The Illusionist

The line between sentimentality and heartfelt characterisation is a thin one at the best of times. Many directors and writers, Steven Spielberg springs to mind, straddle the dangerous tightrope throughout their career creating some films that are genuinely moving; and others that require the use of a sick bag. The Illusionist, not to be confused with The Illusionist (2006) starring Edward Norton, is a French/British animation directed by Sylvain Chomet and based loosely on an un-filmed Jacques Tati script from 1956. Tati himself has somewhat of a controversial legacy, with his comedy remaining in the hearts of his fans; many of his critics cite his turbulent personal life: and to a certain degree, this is something of a farewell to them.

A French Illusionist living in Paris in the 1950s is beset by unemployment. After a dry spell he travels to England to try to make something of himself; and after making a few contacts ends up in a rainy Scottish village performing for the locals. Amongst them is a young girl who stows away and follows him when he travels to Edinborough, and the two begin a new life in the big city.

The film is often extremely pretty

The first thing that strikes you about The Illusionist is its almost complete lack of dialog: snatches of French and occasionally English are heard throughout the film but nothing in the way of a conversation is ever shown; most of the interactions between characters being visual and indicated by noises. This may seem incidental but it is vital to anyone who hopes to enjoy the film, as the lack of words is occasionally rather alienating, and gives the film a rather empty feeling. The film looks beautiful and the animation is wonderful, but the characters, despite their unique looks, are rather hollow. The Illusionist has the feeling of a short film and, despite being only 76 minutes long, drags rather and the more bleak sections of the film are quite dull. Anybody unfamiliar with Tati’s style of often silent comedy will find the film’s silence boring and frustrating, and many who are aware of his legacy may be put off by the film’s whimsical sentimentality; particularly the movie’s closing few minutes. Less comedic and more lightly sad and occasionally sweet, The Illusionist is a short, if rather dull tale of growing old and that very filmic contrivance of surrogate parenthood; but its narrative never engages in the way of other animations that address such issues like Up (2009) or Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).