Tatischeff the Illusionist (voiced by Jean-Claude Donda) is a tall and thin Parisian magician who has plied his craft for many years. But he has reached the end of the road in his career: his stubborn rabbit who doesn't stay obediently in the performer's hat is the most lively aspect of his act. He's down to working auditoriums with only a handful of people in attendance. In London, Tatischeff laments the popularity and success of Billy Boy and the Britoons, a rock band that attracts hundreds of screaming fans. Looking for a more tranquil setting and hopefully a more appreciative audience, he travels to Scotland to perform in a small pub in a coastal town. But after doing his thing, Tatischeff and a group of local musicians look on with dread as a jukebox with loud music replaces them. Welcome to the modern world.
But he does have one fan in Scotland — Alice (Eilidh Rankin), a young girl who works cleaning rooms. She wants a new life and to see the wonders of the world, and so they begin traveling together. They make quite an awkward looking couple, and it seems that they are most content to be taken as a father and his young daughter. Alice takes care of their apartment while the magician works at a small theatre and elsewhere. Trying to live up to her beliefs in magic and his power to conjure things, Tatischeff purchases many gifts for Alice, paying for them by working other jobs. But then she meets a younger man and her dreams change.
The script for The Illusionist was originally written by the legendary French comedy star Jacques Tati as a love letter from a father to a daughter. Sylvain Chomet has now brought it to the screen as a beautifully animated film about old age, impermanence, and loneliness. It charms in its own quaint way and is laced with some of the same melancholy tones as the director's first feature The Triplets of Belleville (2002). Here we empathize with Tatischeff and his downward spiral, his isolation, and his efforts to bring a little kindness and magic to others.
Special features on the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack include a commentary with director Sylvain Chomet; the making of The Illusionist; four line tests; and three Animation Progression Sequences.
