Post date: Sep 01, 2011 10:19:24 PM
(★★ out of ★★★★★)
Are you the type of person who just loves that drowsy feeling that comes with Monday mornings? You know the one I’m talking about… that zombie-like state right after your alarm goes off and all you want to do is go back to sleep, but you can't because you have get up and get ready for work. Well, if you are that kind of person, then you will probably just adore The Illusionist; however, if you're like me, and that Monday morning drowsiness is a routine that you could probably live without, then I would advise you to not to waste your time with this film. The Illusionist, which takes place in Europe (Paris and Scotland, to be precise) from 1959 to (I’m assuming) some point in the early- to mid-1960’s, follows an aging illusionist as he copes with the declining popularity of his trade. Our prestidigitator (hell of a word, right?) protagonist eventually meets a young girl who is particularly impressed with his skills. They develop a sort of doting father-daughter relationship and the story follows their lives as they deal with day-to-day struggles. Stylistically, The Illusionist uses very little dialogue, which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Wall-E, one of my favorite movies of all-time, has proven that a film can be quite successful with few spoken words. That being said, Wall-E was able to achieve its success by having a charming story and characters. Such attributes are noticeably absent from The Illusionist. As for the general themes of the film, if you weren't able to tell from the brief synopsis I provided at the beginning of this review, The Illusionist is sad. It’s not tragic, but it’s sad in that life-kinda-sucks-your-dreams-will-never-come-true way that seems to be popular with indie filmmakers and critics alike. All I can say regarding this trend is, "Eff that." If this movie would have been live action, I would have given it one star[1]. However, because I’m a fan of animation, and the animation is, truthfully, really pretty to look at... two stars. Like I said, narratives dripping in melancholy seem to be really popular with indie filmmakers and critics; so, while I can't guarantee that someone won't like it, they won't be able to convince me of its positive aspects if they do.
[1] Hannah was notably pissed at the end of this movie. She typically gives movies five stars as long as they have a happy ending... Hannah gave The Illusionist 1/2 of a star.