The Illusionist - video clips

List.co.uk
4 June 2010

This article is from 2010.

One of the most talked about movies at this year's Film Festival is The Illusionist, Sylvain Chomet's first feature since the critically acclaimed Belleville Rendez-vous.

Based on a Jacques Tati script and transposed to 1950s Scotland it is the story of a down-on-his-luck stage illusionist meeting a young woman who believes his magic is real.

We've gathered together five video clips from the film. The clips are in French, but don't worry if you're not a French speaker – the animation effortlessly conveys the story.

Clip 1

The Illusionist prepares backstage while The Britoons perform to their screaming fans.

Clip 2

A journey by train, boat and car through Scotland to a remote Western Isles village.

Clip 3

The Illusionist entertains the locals in a village pub.

Clip 4

A new coat presented with a magician's flair.

Clip 5

Acrobats painting.

The Illusionist

2010
UK/France
1h 23min
12A

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet
Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin

The product of five years' work in an animation studio that Chomet (Belleville Rendezvous) set up in Edinburgh when he fell in love with the capital after attending its International Film Festival, this is an uncannily accurate portrayal of Edinburgh and Scotland. The story is an unfilmed script from Jacques Tati and the…

Comments

1. GP_1966 – 7 Jun 2010, 12:19am Report

Chomet tries to seduce Edinburgh with lies about a love letter to Scotland in an attempt to hide a very sad real life story as to why Jacques Tati wrote the Illusionist that Chomet’s adaptation spitefully disregards much to the distaste of one very Scottish family name.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/31/jacques-tati-lost-film-family-illusionniste

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/pages-for-twitter/the-shame-of-jacques-tati.html

Chomet it would appear never met or spoke to Sophie Tatischeff and hides behind her as dead woman can’t speak, he didn't read the Illusionist script until 2003, 2 years after she died.

EIFF should question the morals behind what it supports.