The Illusionist (Chomet)

[ThePlashyBubbler]

This is the very first I've heard of this, but apparently this is Chomet's feature-length follow-up to the Triplets of Belleville...from an unproduced script written by Jacques Tati! :eek:

Described as being about "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.”

Just jumped up my list of most anticipated, that's for sure.

http://www.ioncinema.com/news/id/3188/midway_point_top_10_most_antic ipated_films_of_2009_2_the_ill usionist

[Sycophant]

I was just wondering aloud over the weekend about what had become of this project. Nifty!

[Sven]

One of my top 5 most anticipated movies at the moment. Couldn't even tell you what the other 4 are.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Some pictures have surfaced:

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste02.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste01.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste03.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste04.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste05.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste06.jpg

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/icons3/illusionniste07.jpg

Looks great.

[D_Davis]

That looks incredible.

[Dukefrukem]

whoooooooooa

[megladon8]

I can't wait for this.

Looks gorgeous.

The Triplets of Belleville is one of the very best animated movies ever.

[Raiders]

:pritch:

[Ezee E]

Heh, I thought this thread was about the Giamatti/Norton magician movie. Those pics look great.

[chrisnu]

Heh, I thought this thread was about the Giamatti/Norton magician movie. Those pics look great.
Same here. Looking forward to it.

[Ivan Drago]

Heh, I thought this thread was about the Giamatti/Norton magician movie. Those pics look great.

As did I. That is a good movie, though.

This is reminding me to revisit Triplets of Belleville. I remember loving it though. Does anyone know if this'll have no dialogue like Belleville did?

[Spun Lepton]

Love the style. I was initialliy disappointed with Triplets, if only because the advertising campaign here seemed to suggest there was going to be a lot more music than there was.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Advance word from Berlin is, as expected, positive:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117942211.html?categoryid=3 1&cs=1

Hope this makes its way overseas sometime this year.

[KK2.0]

As did I. That is a good movie, though.

This is reminding me to revisit Triplets of Belleville. I remember loving it though. Does anyone know if this'll have no dialogue like Belleville did?

probably, both tati and chomet are silent movie artists.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

The (Russian) Trailer. (http://63koval.livejournal.com/255767.html)

Niiiiice.

[Lasse]

Looks delightful. Reminds me that I really need to watch The Triplets of Belleville.

[KK2.0]

that looked just perfect

[Qrazy]

Reposted from TIFF thread:

The Illusionist was quite good. I preferred it to The Triplets of Belleville, which I also enjoyed. Visually Chomet continues on from where he left off with Triplets. There's plenty of beautiful, detailed imagery ranging from picturesque landscapes to extremely fluidly rendered character motion. The clash of styles between Chomet and Tati generates an interesting tone. The piece feels a bit like a Tati film by way of Terry Gilliam, although much more the former than the latter. The film possesses Tati's lyricism if not quite his energy. There's a manic energy to many of Tati's set pieces that I didn't completely feel here. The film never fully gains momentum. There was also an element of bluntness at times which lacked Tati's delicacy.

That said, by and large Chomet does do the script justice. Chomet and Tati both share a love for primarily visual storytelling. As much as possible they push dialogue to the fringes, and try to communicate as much relevant visual information they can in any given frame. The jokes are usually clever, and the dynamic between Hulot and the girl in the film feels heartfelt, although it could have been slightly more complex.

And of course it was also just a joy to me to see the bumbling Hulot reprise his role just one last time.

Two of the films producers were in attendance and gave a Q and A afterward, but nothing really new or revealing was said. For anyone who didn't know.. the script is purported to be a reflection of Tati's feelings towards his actual illegitimate daughter. I would agree with this interpretation, and it's clear that Chomet does as well.

[Winston*]

I thought it was just okay. Thought Chomet seemed constrained by reverance to Tati's screenplay. Much preferred Triplets.

Probably more for existing Tati fans like Qrazy than anyone else. I've only seen Holiday which was fine.

[Dillard]

U.S. Trailer (http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi996383001/). Looks absolutely lovely. Tati fan here, and I love the way Chromet has captured some of Hulot's mannerisms. For example, the way Hulot stands up straight and clicks his shoes together as an expression of determination.

[baby doll]

It looks great, but overall, it left a sour taste in my mouth. (My blog entry on the film can be found here (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2010/09/aff-1-you-will-meet-tall-dark-wookie.html).)

[Dillard]

It looks great, but overall, it left a sour taste in my mouth. (My blog entry on the film can be found here (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2010/09/aff-1-you-will-meet-tall-dark-wookie.html).)Shoot, baby doll, that sucks! Tati's films are all in some ways a memorial to a certain way of looking at life, but never a dirge!

On that note, how would you describe the way of life Tati wants to go back to? It's skeptical of new technology and stylistic fads and celebratory of a certain kind of humanism that Tati sees disappearing. But has Tati's way of life ever existed though post-industrialization? Industrialization has meant materialism, new technologies, and stylistic fads. Is it a matter of wealth? Tati critiquing the wealthy? Aren't Tati's tastes (for example, his dress, his umbrella) revealing of a materialistic attitude and some measure of wealth in their own way?

I realize watching Tati's films that I completely buy into Tati's critique of modern society, but I wonder if the alternative Tati is presenting in the person of Hulot is safe from Tati's own criticism. What do you think?

[baby doll]

Shoot, baby doll, that sucks! Tati's films are all in some ways a memorial to a certain way of looking at life, but never a dirge!

On that note, how would you describe the way of life Tati wants to go back to? It's skeptical of new technology and stylistic fads and celebratory of a certain kind of humanism that Tati sees disappearing. But has Tati's way of life ever existed though post-industrialization? Industrialization has meant materialism, new technologies, and stylistic fads. Is it a matter of wealth? Tati critiquing the wealthy? Aren't Tati's tastes (for example, his dress, his umbrella) revealing of a materialistic attitude and some measure of wealth in their own way?

I realize watching Tati's films that I completely buy into Tati's critique of modern society, but I wonder if the alternative Tati is presenting in the person of Hulot is safe from Tati's own criticism. What do you think?Well, unlike Mon oncle, where he spends a considerable portion of the movie celebrating Paris' working class neighborhoods, here the Tatischeff character is a lousy magician who plays to unappreciative audiences, so there's nothing to go back to really. I don't know if that answers your question, exactly.

[Ezee E]

Well, unlike Mon oncle, where he spends a considerable portion of the movie celebrating Paris' working class neighborhoods, here the Tatischeff character is a lousy magician who plays to unappreciative audiences, so there's nothing to go back to really. I don't know if that answers your question, exactly.
Yeah. It definitely has a second act that just DRAGS....

[Spinal]

One of the best films I've seen this year, if not the very best. And you know how much I raved about Inception. The subject matter was very close to my heart. Lots of masterful humorous touches. And the ending really floored me. What a beautiful accomplishment.

[Spinal]

Probably more for existing Tati fans like Qrazy than anyone else.

I'm only lukewarm on Tati. This film was far more satisfying than any actual Tati film I've seen. Funnier. More poignant.

[Ezee E]

I'm only lukewarm on Tati. This film was far more satisfying than any actual Tati film I've seen. Funnier. More poignant.
Poignant, for sure. Something that was probably lacking in Tati's movies.

But funny? I can't really think of anything outside a few gags in the car repair shop now.

[Winston*]

But funny? I can't really think of anything outside a few gags in the car repair shop now.

I liked the drunk Scottish guy and the giggly Beatles guys at the start.

[Raiders]

Poignant, for sure. Something that was probably lacking in Tati's movies.

Not at all. Well, not to those who refuse to partake in the koolaid Spinal is consuming.

[Derek]

Not at all. Well, not to those who refuse to partake in the koolaid Spinal is consuming.

Yeah, Tati's films are brimming with poignancy. You can question whether they're funny or not, but not that.

[ledfloyd]

I'm only lukewarm on Tati. This film was far more satisfying than any actual Tati film I've seen. Funnier. More poignant.
agreed 100%.

[B-side]

agreed 100%.

Same here. I should note I've only seen Playtime.

[soitgoes...]

The Illusionist (Chomet, 2010) **½
I'm just gonna leave this here for Spinal.

[Spinal]

That would probably translate to *** on my scale, so, you know, whatever.

[Derek]

That would probably translate to *** on my scale, so, you know, whatever.

Yeah, it gets a 'sans mild' yay from me. I love Chomet's animation style (Triplets is one of my favorite animated films of the last decade) and it's a sweet delicate little film, but, and this is where we won't agree, I couldn't get past imagining it being better had Tati himself starred and directed in it.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yeah, it gets a 'sans mild' yay from me. I love Chomet's animation style (Triplets is one of my favorite animated films of the last decade) and it's a sweet delicate little film, but, and this is where we won't agree, I couldn't get past imagining it being better had Tati himself starred and directed in it.

I really, really, really liked this but I think can agree with this.

Still what a touching movie. I couldn't think of a better epilogue for Tati. Maybe my favorite of the year.

[lovejuice]

This is good, but also too damn bittersweet with a strong emphasis on bitter.

Reading the thread, I just learned that the girl is supposed to be a daughter. Somehow, that makes it less sad.

[MadMan]

The first half is a really wonderful film with and underlying sense of depression and sadness. The second half is a goddamn sucker punch to the gut. Even though Triplets of Bellville is more entertaining and delightful, The Illusionist has a strong emotional core that makes it the better of the two.

[Morris Schæffer]

It is true this was an unfilmed Tati project?

[Ezee E]

It is true this was an unfilmed Tati project?
Script is written by Tati.