It's perhaps to be expected that an animated movie with an almost total lack of dialogue might not reach the widest of audiences. That said, director Sylvian Chomet's previous film The Triplets Of Belleville, which also features little in the way of talking, fared considerably better at the box office than The Illusionist. Adapted from an unfilmed script by French master of physical comedy Jacques Tati, The Illusionist's low key premise in which a young girl meets a magician and believes he is the real deal, might share similar themes of youngsters bonding with parent figures found in Disney and other mainstream animations, but its delivery is considerably more understated. It's a truly beautiful film to look at, too; from the windswept landscapes to the perfect animated representation of Tati's nuanced comic style. Unfortunately, in spite of an Academy Award nomination and a few award wins in Europe, The Illusionist failed to recoup its budget, a sure sign that similar experimental and offbeat animations are less likely to get the green light in the future.
