THE ILLUSIONIST

Based on an unproduced script written in 1956 by French cinema legend Jacques Tati, The Illusionist is the latest offering from director Sylvain Chomet, whose film The Triplets of Belleville wowed audiences in 2003. The story centres on an aging French magician who finds himself in rural Scotland, alone and struggling to find work. There he meets a naïve but sweet young woman, Alice, who mistakes his tricks of illusion for real magic, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. The animation is exquisite, and Edinburgh has surely never looked so bleak and beautiful (the sweeping 3D shot of the city will take your breath away). The dialogue is minimal, and what little we hear is in French and Gaelic. There are no subtitles. But it doesn’t matter. This is a film about the magic of kindness and friendship, and it’s a theme that transcends language. (KS) ****