Review of The Illusionist (2009) by Cita W — 26 Feb 2011
The Illusionist is a gorgeous movie. Like its spiritual predecessor The Triplets of Belleville, the movie is the very best definition of eye candy. The art direction is a sort of exaggerated take on classic Hollywood, with a Miyazaki-esque attention to detail and a great contrast between the lush, static backgrounds and the more dynamic foreground action.
The story is simple, perhaps too simple for some viewers used to the generally more energetic animated landscape, chronicling an aged magician as he travels about and befriends a young girl, leading to a sort of Pygmalion dynamic between them.
Like The Triplets of Belleville, most of the film is silent, allowing the animation to command the audience's attention and thus celebrating film's status as a primarily visual medium. It's a stunning achievement, not as narratively strong as its competitors at the Oscars tomorrow night, but still a wonderful animated tale.
This review of The Illusionist (2009) was written by Cita W on 26 Feb 2011.
The Illusionist has generally received very positive reviews.
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