THE ILLUSIONIST
aka L'ILLUSIONNISTE

Year: 2010
USA: Sony Pictures Classics
UK: Pathe Productions
Cast (voices of): Jean-Claude Donda, Edith Rankin, Jil Aigrot, Didier Gustin, Frederic Lebon, Tom Urie
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Countries: UK / France
USA & UK: 79 mins
USA Rated: PG for thematic elements and smoking
UK Certificate: PG contains a scene of aborted suicide and images of smoking
USA Release Date: 25 December 2010 (Limited Release - New York and Los Angeles)
UK Release Date: 20 August 2010 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

From the director of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE comes his new film THE ILLUSIONIST.

The Illusionist is playing to a diminishing audience which forces him in to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, bars and cafes. Travelling to the west coast of Scotland, he performs in a village pub where he meets Alice, an innocent, young girl who is captivated by his stage show and believes his tricks are real magic.

She follows him to Edinburgh and stays at his home while he performs at a small theatre. Desperate not to disappoint her faith in him, he buys her lavish gifts which she thinks he has conjured up, but the reality is that he is buying the gifts and it is driving him to financial ruin.

When Alice grows up she finds love and moves on. As the Illusionist no longer has to keep up pretence, he resumes his former life as a travelling entertainer, though much wiser.