The Illusionist
Short description
Set in the late 1950s, this animated drama follows a French illusionist whose traditional stage act has become obsolete due to the rise of rock and roll. Struggling to find work in Paris and London, he travels to a remote village on the west coast of Scotland. There, he meets a young girl named Alice, who believes his magic tricks are genuine. The two embark on an adventure that takes them to Edinburgh and fundamentally alters their lives.
Directed and written by Sylvain Chomet, this was his third feature film following The Triplets of Belleville and Paris Je T'aime. The voice cast includes Jean-Claude Donda as Tatischeff and Eilidh Rankin as Alice, with archive footage of Jacques Tati. The production was a joint effort between France and the United Kingdom, involving companies such as Pathé and Canal+.
The film had a budget of 18 million USD but earned 6 million USD at the worldwide box office. It has been well received by both viewers and reviewers. It holds a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb based on 38,000 votes and 7.2/10 on TMDB from 695 votes. Film critics gave the movie a higher score of 8/10 based on 134 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- During the main character's performance in a Scottish pub, the famous optical illusion "My Wife and My Mother-in-Law" (or "Young Woman or Old Lady") is inserted among the audience, almost in the center of the frame.
- According to the original screenplay author Jacques Tati (birth name – Yakov Tatischev, 1907-1982), the animated film was intended to take place in Prague, however Sylvain Chomet replaced Prague with Edinburgh, where he has his own animation studio.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
