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6 wins & 30 nominations.
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When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him.
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In seductive central Paris, an undernourished gendarme willing to go to great lengths to get himself fed, hatches a desperate, yet utterly cunning plan.
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In 1950s Italy, two middle-aged brothers go on a magical odyssey through their past as they take part in the world's most beautiful car race: the Mille Miglia.
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Paul is a sweet man-child, raised - and smothered - by his two eccentric aunts in Paris since the death of his parents when he was a toddler. Now thirty-three, he still does not speak. (He ... See full summary »
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Sylvain Chomet
Stars:
Guillaume Gouix,
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A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.
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Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey - in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero - brings heartache and torment.
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A look behind the scenes at the bizarre methods of Monsieur Imada, award-winning director.
Director:
Sylvain Chomet
Stars:
Marie Petiot,
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An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Director:
Ari Folman
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Storyline
Details the story of a dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars. Forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theaters, garden parties and bars, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever.
Written by
Anonymous
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Plot Synopsis
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Details
Release Date:
11 February 2011 (USA)
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Box Office
Budget:
£11,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend:
£164,950
(United Kingdom),
22 August 2010, Limited Release
Opening Weekend USA:
$38,594,
24 December 2010, Limited Release
Gross USA:
$2,231,474
Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$6,007,194
See more on IMDbPro »
Company Credits
Technical Specs
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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full technical specs »
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Did You Know?
Trivia
When the Illusionist is performing at the Scottish pub, one of the patrons in the foreground, near the middle of the frame, is the famous "Young Girl and Old Woman" optical illusion.
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Goofs
Taxis shown in London and Edinburgh are the Austin FX4 model, in common use from 1958 through to the early 21st Century. However, the design of the rear lights, a long oval, was not introduced until 1968. At the time of the film's setting the rear lights were small red units, and the direction indicators were on the roof of the car, and stuck out like 'ears'.
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Crazy Credits
At the end of the final credits, there's a short bonus scene.
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Connections
Features
Mon Oncle (1958)
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Soundtracks
Chanson Illusionist
Written & Composed by
Sylvain Chomet
Published by Django Films Ltd
Performed by
Didier Gustin,
Jil Aigrot, and
Frédéric Lebon See more »
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Simplicity is a very interesting word that is defined in many ways. "The Illusionist" is a film that is synonymous with this word and is a visual representation of the art of simplicity. Nominated for every major best Animated Feature Film award including a 2011 Oscar Nomination birth, "The Illusionist" is more than just one of the best-animated films of the year. Will it win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film? Probably not just because "Toy Story 3" went on a record breaking spree within the animation genre, however, "The Illusionist" is just as good as "Toy Story 3" if not a little better. The film is based off of a script written in the late 1950s by a French, mime, actor, and director named Jacques Tati, but was forgotten about until Director Syvain Chomet picked up the script and ran with it producing an 80 minute animated masterpiece. The film follows the travels of a French Illusionist from town to town looking for work while performing his artistic magician craft in small shows. However, his profession is lost within the changing entertainment era causing him to lose hope, until one day while traveling in Scotland he met a young girl named Alice. Alice changes his life with her belief that he is actually a real magician seeing through the illusion of magic and personifying it into being. The Illusionist becomes a father or grandfather figure to her as they grow together down very separate paths.
The simplicity of the film goes hand in hand with the authenticity and depth of the very easy to watch story. The animation is 2D brilliance with every image on the screen having deeper meaning of some sort. The film uses its filmatic space avoiding lulls and capturing the viewer's attention with its very short run time. This is achieved by the craft of Director Chomet who has created a picture that is so well done it does not even feel like its animated. This can be attributed to cinematography used with the animation. A camera seems as if it is filming the film almost as an alternative reality in a medium that would not of been as effective if it had not been animated. Authenticity is evident even with the minimal dialogue acting a throwback to a simpler era; silent film. It does not rely on its dialogue at all spreading it few and far between, however, when there is dialogue it is true to the setting and the nature of the film. It is in French and guess what? There aren't any annoying subtitles.
For some viewers the fact that the film is in French and that there aren't subtitles (I bet the DVD/Blu-Ray will have the option) it may be very frustrating. Also, this is not necessarily a kids movie. Kids will enjoy the magic behind "The Illusionist", but will not appreciate it as much as adults because of the immense amount of symbolism in the film.
Contemporary film seems to be all about glamor, special effects, and money leading to the creation of hit or miss films. However, film as an art is much simpler than that, which is a metaphor that resonates within the must see film "The Illusionist". Remember simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.