The Illusionist
Starring: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Duncan MacNeil, Raymond Mearns
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Rating: 3/5
Over the last twelve months we have been treated to a whole host of animation movies that have been laded with CGi effects - and there have been some gems amongst them.
But The Illusionist is from the team behind Belleville Rendez-vous and director Sylvain Chomet has brought us a completely different animation experience.
The Illusionist is one of a dying breed of stage entertainers. With emerging rock stars stealing his thunder, he is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, at garden parties and in bars and cafes.
However, while performing in a village pub off the west coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever.
Watching his performance to the excited and amazed villagers who are celebrating the arrival of electricity to their remote island, Alice becomes awestruck by our hero and believes his tricks are real magic.
Following him to Edinburgh, she keeps his home while he goes to work in a small local theatre.
Desperate not to disappoint her, he cannot bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist and that buying these gifts is driving him to ruin.
Visually The Illusionist is absolutely beautiful - the old school animation really is a breath of fresh air.
The Illusionist is a tale of childhood and growing up as well as one of regret and trying to keep a dying art alive.
And while these beautifully created characters do tell the story well the most irritating aspect of this movie is the lack of dialogue.
However the lack of spoken word does not make the film difficult to follow it is just a little unusual more than anything else - but you have to wonder if it would have benefited from more of a script.
This is an animation movie for adults - sadly I feel that children will not enjoy it - and it's better sweet undertones will tug at the heartstrings.
The Illusionist is a charming movie that is beautifully animated and is a little window into a past that has disappeared.
The Illusionist DVD is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw