The Illusionist (L’illusionniste) (2010)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
11 wins & 12 nominations total
An engrossing love letter to fans of adult animation, The Illusionist offers a fine antidote to garish mainstream fare
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you feel like you’re in a dream, The Illusionist is the perfect pick. The animation is stunning and the story is both heartwarming and bittersweet. It’s like watching a beautiful painting come to life, with a touch of magic thrown in. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned tale of a struggling artist trying to make it in the world? This movie is a must-see for anyone who appreciates art, storytelling, and a little bit of whimsy.
Production Company(ies)
C J Entertainment, Barunson E& A
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Konopiste Palace, Benesov, Czech Republic
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:SDDS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom, France
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 10, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin, Duncan MacNeil, Raymond Mearns, James T Muir, Tom Urie, directed by Sylvain Chomet, written by Sylvain Chomet, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Deb Jannerson, Nicolas Rapold, Jim Schembri, Marc Savlov, Rene Rodriguez, Amy Biancolli, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Felicia Feaster, Sarah Knight Adamson, Amie Simon, PG rating, adult animation, Sally Chomet, Bob Last, Sony Pictures Classics, magic tricks, rock ‘n’ roll, 1950s, French illusionist, Scotland, pubs, run-down restaurants, Alice, financial ruin, gifts, smoking, English, limited release, Sony Pictures Classics
Worldwide gross: $87,892,388
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $129,611,131
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 899
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 14,134,256
US/Canada gross: $39,868,642
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $58,792,575
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,000
US/Canada opening weekend: $927,956
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,368,417
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,247
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $16,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $24,331,842
Production budget ranking: 1,264
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $13,102,697
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $92,176,593
ROI to date (est.): 246%
ROI ranking: 539
Eilidh Rankin – Alice (Voice)
Duncan MacNeil – (Voice)
Raymond Mearns – (Voice)
James T. Muir – (Voice)
Tom Urie – (Voice)
Director(s)
Sylvain Chomet
Writer(s)
Sylvain Chomet
Producer(s)
Sally Chomet, Bob Last
Film Festivals
Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
11 wins & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (134) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (121) | Rotten (13)
While I’ve heard nothing yet about Chomet’s next film, I can wholeheartedly say L’illusionniste had made my interest disappear.
January 7, 2021
Deb Jannerson
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
There’s plenty of crack-a-smile humor, but the underlying mood recalls the diminuendo stretches in a Jacques Tati film.
July 1, 2013
Nicolas Rapold
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Director Sylvain Chomet manages to rouse a lot of smirks and smiles through the small nuance and inferences that were Tati’s signature.
October 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Jim Schembri
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
The Illusionist is absolutely mandatory viewing for aspiring animators and filmmakers. (In terms of pacing, scoring, editing, and narrative, it’s a film school unto itself.) For the rest of us, however, it’s simply magic.
February 11, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The film ends on a note of graceful, heartbreaking beauty that Tati would have admired for its lack of sentimentality. A lot of what precedes that ending, though, is precious and slight and a little too fanciful.
February 10, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
This is a remarkable movie: lovely, slow-paced and almost silent, rich with pathos and deft comic gestures.
February 4, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Perfectly combines the unique visual style of Oscar-nominated animator Sylvain Chomet with the melancholy, simple, and poignant storytelling approach of Jacques Tati.
November 30, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The Illusionist changed me in ways big and small and I am better for having seen it.
September 11, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Sweet but with a melancholic edge, if it is occasionally too slight, too circumscribed, or too molasses-paced for its own good, it’s a minor quibble next to The Illusionist’s overarching charm.
January 21, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Charleston City Paper
The film’s animation tells the story, in the manner of a beautifully-illustrated children’s storybook.
January 16, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Sarah Knight Adamson
Sarah’s Backstage Pass
You’re basically just watching each day of this guy’s life, and yet, it’s totally magical. Tati’s script is full of beauty, humor and sadness, with a very European ending that will leave the viewer a little misty eyed.
March 7, 2019
Amie Simon
Three Imaginary Girls
Chomet has delivered yet another fantastically assured film, one which even transcends the brilliance of his first feature.
November 5, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Stephen Leach
CineVue…
Plot
In late nineteenth century Vienna, renowned illusionist Eisenheim is reunited with the Duchess von Teschen when she is volunteered from the audience to participate in an illusion during one of his performances. Despite having not seen each other in fifteen years when they were teenagers, they almost immediately recognize each other as Eduard Abramovich and Sophie von Teschen, they who had a doomed romance at that time due to their class differences. The Duchess is soon to be wed to the Crown Prince Leopold in what would be for him a marriage solely in pursuit of power: overthrowing his father, the Emperor Leopold, as well as overtaking the Hungarian side of the empire. The Crown Prince is known to use violence against women if it suits his needs or purposes. As such, the Duchess, who realizes that she still loves Eisenheim and he her, can never leave the Crown Prince without it jeopardizing her life. After Eisenheim humiliates the Crown Prince at a private show which results in an incident between the Crown Prince and the Duchess, the battle between Eisenheim and the Crown Prince moves into the public performance realm, which many believe demonstrates Eisenheim’s supernatural powers. Much of the work for the Crown Prince in the battle with Eisenheim is conducted by Chief Inspector Uhl, who would become the Chief of Police under the Crown Prince’s reign. As such, Uhl may have ulterior motives in turning a blind eye to any unlawful act of the Crown Prince against Eisenheim or the Duchess.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Illusionist.
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