Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Illusionist Blu-ray Movie Review

Presto! Another wonderful Blu-ray release from Sony.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 4, 2011

The Illusionist, a film crafted from a work penned by French filmmaker Jacques Tati in the mid-1950s, plays as if a metaphor for life, a film rich with exposition yet crafted from only the bare essentials. Given a somewhat emotionally uplifting but at the same time physically somber tone, constructed of relatively crude old-fashioned style animation, and practically free of dialogue -- all giving the film a nontraditional structure -- The Illusionist plays with an unusual but alluring style, and the sheer absence of anything but the most basic of storytelling essentials seems to emphasize the greater purposes of the story. Director Sylvain Chomet, the French director who last dazzled audiences with his 2003 animated picture The Triplets of Belleville, has crafted in The illusionist a modern masterwork of simplified storytelling that yields incredibly deep and purposeful emotional and thematic relevancies. The Illusionist is, stylistically, a pleasantly straightforward experience, but the richness of the film lies in the subtleties that are sometimes lost or difficult to find in more complex films but that are instead here easily recognized, though they still do not dominate the story. Smart, touching, thought-provoking, and infinitely meaningful in so many ways, The Illusionist is a grand film that's sure to not disappear but rather continue to dazzle audiences with its almost magical sensibilities that simply but honestly and completely comment on life and humanity in an enlightening and mesmerizing fashion.

Keeping up with the times, or trying to, anyway.

A tall, lanky illusionist known only by the name that appears on his promotional poster -- "Tatischeff" -- is struggling to get by in a world that no longer appreciates the artistry of the illusionist, instead preferring the diversion of television and the rise of Rock 'n' Roll. He loses one gig after another, playing to near-empty houses and finding it harder and harder to make a living through his only real trade. He moves from France to England to Scotland where he happens to meet a young girl who takes a liking to his old-fashioned skills and sensibilities. She's rewarded with a surprise gift of a new pair of shoes to replace her worn-down just-good-enough-to-get-by footwear. When the illusionist must again move on in search of work, she follows him, the two renting a small apartment that houses a few other old-fashioned, down-on-their-luck entertainers. Undeterred by his own personal hardships, the illusionist makes it his life's work to provide for the girl the nicer things in life until life -- the passage of time -- finally takes everything he's ever had but her.

The Illusionist is really a movie about the passage of time and what time does and means to the world around it. It's the one constant in the universe but it has such a profound effect on everything it touches. The passage of time cannot even allow the most starry-eyed of dreams, desires, aspirations, and beliefs to remain unaltered, no matter one's perspective or in how highly a regard one may hold the illusion of something better. In essence, even the best, most impenetrable, most convincing of illusions cannot withstand the forces of time, ultimately giving way to the realities of life that have already been and continue to be altred by the passage of time, and such realities, unfortunately, often reveal difficult, unfair, and harsh truths that are, arguably, made all the worse by the illusion of something better, for perhaps the gradual acceptance of time's consequences is preferable to the sudden lifting of the veil. Then again, as seems to maybe be what The Illusionist is trying to say, it may be one's belief in something greater than the strengths of time and the inevitable changes in the world that are preferable to reality, at least until such time when one may better cope with what lies beyond the illusion, in essence becoming prepared for the truth by the belief in the lie. Indeed, whether a dream, a belief, or a hope in something different manifests real, positive results or not lies in the consequences of time, but it may be true that, for a period, the faith of the individual may very well, for one fleeting moment, conquer the realities of the world as a means of preparing one for what lies ahead.

But maybe it's not only the illusion -- or not the illusion at all -- that can prepare one for life, bring about acceptance, or even alter a personal or wider landscape. Maybe it's what the illusion really means -- why it's crafted, who is crafting it, and what his or her intentions in veiling someone or something may be -- that is its greatest purpose. Perhaps sheltering someone in need through the illusion until such time that the veil may be lifted is what matters far more than the illusion itself. The Illusionist suggests that giving and unselfishness and understanding and compassion are those things that really matter; whether allowing one to believe in someone for something they are or are not or whether it's nothing but a simple sleight-of-hand trick to bring a smile to a child's face, it's the heart that matters most, and even if it cannot be seen, it's the ultimate anti-illusion and man's most powerful ally in shaping his world for the better. Certainly, the illusion is but a metaphor for something better, a metaphor for a belief in something that might not be true, but faith is a powerful thing. Through faith one can weather any storm, and no matter what one places his or her faith in, be it true or merely an illusion, it's served its purpose if it can for a moment or for a lifetime shape one's outlook on life and make that person's world a better place.

The Illusionist Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Illusionist pulls a perfect 1080p transfer out of its sleeve. This is a wonderfully handsome image, and even though the animation isn't particularly drool-worthy in the same way some flashy CGI cartoon might be, it is exquisitely rendered on Blu-ray. A black and white open quickly gives way to a color presentation that remains for the rest of the film. Colors aren't exactly vibrant by design -- the film can be somewhat dark, in fact -- but yellows, reds, and blues can really pop in the brightest scenes. Detail is as strong as the source allows; the only softness seems inherent to the orignal animation, and this Blu-ray captures every nuance to be found in each frame. There's nothing here even remotely unpleasant to look at; whether bright stages or dreary overcast skies, candle-lit interiors or sun-drenched kitchens, the transfer handles a wide range of material nicely. No banding, no blocking, no nothing except for the image in its purest form. This is a wonderful transfer from Sony.

The Illusionist Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Illusionist dazzles with a proficient DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Dialogue is practically nonexistent, consisting of a few bouts of gibberish and simple, usually single, words, but the center speaker delivers whatever syllables might be tossed out there with ease. The track delivers an excellent spatial sensation at the theater at the beginning of the movie; there's pitch-perfect reverberation effects and a smattering of applause that are heard here and there around the listening area. Music is, in this scene, deliberately tinny and weak as seemingly played through an old phonograph, completing the sensation of sitting in the audience. It's a great little sonic segment. General music reproduction through the rest of the film is wide, clear, and natural in feel. A few scenes of passing traffic add some nicely aggressive directional effects for a few moments, and a steady falling rain subtly but accurately envelops the listening area. The track is rounded into form by good, subtle bass accompanying music and a few sound effects, particularly as evidenced by the wonderfully realistic thump thump thump of dancers stomping on a wooden floor in chapter three; LFE casually but realistically pulsates through the listening area with every footfall. The track isn't exhaustively loud or aggressive, but it's wonderfully solid and pretty much perfect for what it is.

The Illusionist Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, The Illusionist arrives on Blu-ray with only a trace amount of short extras.

• The Making of The Illusionist (480p, 3:30): A speech-free piece that takes a brief look at the making of concept art, sketches, storyboards, and computer-assisted animation.
• The Illusionist Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:32).
• Animation Line Tests (480p, 2:23): Chasing the Rabbit, Window Shopping, Fish and Chips, Morning Routine Line Test, and Morning Routine Completed Scene Montage.
• Before and After Animation Sequences (1080p, 8:46): Garden Party & Travel; Steam, Splashes, Smoke and the Flying Scotsman; and Tatischeff.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• BD-Live.
• DVD Copy.

The Illusionist Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Illusionist is a deeply moving film. It's not hard to see what it's really about, but digesting its themes and what they really mean remains a great challenge. The greater focus on the themes and emotions by way of leaving out everything but the most basic of storytelling components is a welcome diversion from today's loud and scattered films that tuck meaning away behind the superficialities, if they hold meaning at all. Not so with The Illusionist. "Simplistically complex" is perhaps an apt descriptor of Director Sylvain Chomet's masterpiece. It's a film with a high replay value for its emotional and thematic resonance, and it seems it's the sort of movie where whatever one takes away from it is the proper interpretation. It's a film with no right or wrong answers, but it's an involving and moving masterwork that speaks loudly despite saying nary a word. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Illusionist features flawless video, wonderful audio, and a few supplements. Highly recommended.