An aging stage magician stuggles to stay relevant with the changing times, and takes a young stowaway under his wing.
The Illusionist was originally written in the mid-1950's by French writer-director-actor Jacques Tati, known for his series of "Monsieur Hulot" films featuring his Chaplinesque lead character and complicated visual gags. It was never put into production, and the script eventually fell into the hands of director Sylvain Chomet, just after his breakout animated feature The Triplets of Belleville.
Chomet, having recently fell in love with and relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland, changed the script's setting to his new home, where he also set up a new animation studio. The main character was written and animated to resemble Tati in his Hulot guise, and was also given the director's own birthname "Tatischeff".
Like Tati's own films, The Illusionist features a minimal amount of dialogue, the story told primarily through its visuals and sound effects. It also shares Tati's recurring critique of materialism, consumerism, and the confusing nature of modern technology. The film manages to conjure up the atmospheres of the bustling London right before the 1960's crashed in, a small Scottish coastal town, and the cosmopolitan Edinburgh.
Controversy surrounded the film due to its origins; during the German occupation of France, Tati fathered a daughter with a Austrian-Czech stage performer, but was pressured by his family to abandon them. Many feel the film was written as an apology in her honor. Chomet's interpretation is that Tati wrote the film for his second daughter, who he didn't spend enough time with due to his work. Regardless, the film was clearly something very personal for Tati and conveyed an expression of familial guilt. Chomet also made this reflecting on his relationship with his own daughter.
The film opened to very positive reviews, and was the eventual recipient of various critics awards. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and won the French César award in the same category.
Running time is approx. 80 minutes.
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