While we’ll definitely looking forward to Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and the next couple of films from DreamWorks, getting to gaze upon the wonder of Belleville Rendez-Vous** director Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist, even if it is only for a couple of minutes in a trailer{
Chomet’s work is infused with a particularly quirksome, hand drawn spirit, and **The Illusionist **appears to keep up that proud tradition. Based on an unproduced script written in 1956 by filmmaking legend Jacques Tati, the ‘toon follows a magician known as Tatischeff (Tati's real name) who is having trouble as the noble art of stage magic (at least the old-fashioned way he performs it) dies slowly off, being replaced by the demand for flashy rock bands and noisy shows.
Forced to find work in much smaller venues such as garden parties, cafes and even bars, he ends up at a tiny village pub just off the coast of Scotland, where he meets Alice.
Awestruck by his amazing talents, the girl follows him to Edinburgh, becoming his housekeeper and supporting his efforts at a local theatre. But he’s harbouring a sad secret: though Alice firmly believes that the gifts he lavishly bestows upon her are plucked from the air with the power of magic, he can’t bring himself to tell her the truth – that he's not a real conjurer and is going broke in his quest to keep her happy…
The movie takes the stage, or rather, the screen on August 20. And somewhat fittingly given its setting, it'll open the Edinburgh Film Festival today.