The Illusionist

"When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic."

2010 1h 20m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 699

AnimationDrama

Synopsis

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A French illusionist travels to Scotland to work. He meets a young woman in a small village. Their ensuing adventure in Edinburgh changes both their lives forever.

“When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic.”

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Cast

Jean-Claude Donda
Tatischeff / French Cinema Manager (voice)
Eilidh Rankin
Alice (voice)
Didier Gustin
Songs (voice)
Jil Aigrot
Songs (voice)
Jacques Tati
Monsieur Hulot (archive footage) (uncredited)
Duncan MacNeil
Additional Voices (voice)
Raymond Mearns
Additional Voices (voice)
James T. Muir
Additional Voices (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sylvain Chomet
Writers: Aya Suzuki, Jacques Tati
Languages: French, Gaelic, English
Countries: France, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 33% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, Gaelic, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sylvain Chomet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin and Didier Gustin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sylvain Chomet directs. Sylvain Chomet cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, United Kingdom. Dialogue in French, Gaelic, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 33% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 16 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, Gaelic, English.
5International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.
6Editor Sylvain Chomet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin and Didier Gustin carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When life loses its wonder, all it takes is one person who still believes in magic.".
9IMDB entry: tt0775489 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Editing: Sylvain Chomet
Sound: Jean Goudier
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $18,000,000
Box office: $6,007,194
Return: 33% of budget
Original language: FR
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Illusionist (2010)

Awards

European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film
César Award for Best Animated Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Sylvain Chomet

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Selected frames

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Handyandy0404852013-03-22
This movie is the perfect sequel to Jacques Tati's films "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" and "My Uncle". I have now watched all three for my french class and can say this movie elicits so much emotion. True to Jacques Tati's style this film does not need the viewer to understand what is being said to understand what is going on in the film. The art directors choice of stylization for the film makes it a work of art, literally. I absolutely adore this film and would recommend it and other Jacques Tati films to any one. 10/10 stars with 10 being the highest :)

Production companies