Illusions and The Illusionist

For several days,we have all been sans internet. Hence the lack of posting. No one's fault, just saying is all.

As of today, I love the trip but I hate hate hate France. I went on an afternoon trip to Nice. only to learn that the train folks had striked and I was stuck in the city, some 40 minutes away from where I should have been. I had to take a taxi back to Juan Les Pins-- costing me 65 Euros. Sucks hard core. I'm not so much home sick, but I can't wait to be home, to the life I have created for myself and Michael in Athens, if that makes sense. I am not home sick. I am simply heartsick. ANd that is all my own fault, I know. A word to anyone about to get married: this trip will be an awesome and amazing experience of self discovery, which comes at the price of being a bit out of place. And through that, you grow introspectively more than you may have believed possible.

A few days ago, a bunch of the trip kids and I headed down to the beach- wine bottle in hand- only to wake up the next morning with severe headaches. The class that followed was a hilarious. I really am learning so much about myself and the world at large by being here. It's truly a growing experience, and I do feel like I have completely grown into myself. If nothing else, this feeling of confidence has made the trip worth it.

I plan to go to Antibes again tomorrow for the arts festival, and spend the day in the city and go to the Pacasso Museum. On Saturday, a few friends and I are going to Monocco, then on to Nice on Sunday for a day trip and a few museum stops.

All in all, I'm really enjoying myself although I don;t love France so much. The people just, well, suck. :) I can't wait for the wedding week! I think after all of this, it'll be epic.

But as for now. My latest and last review. Number 6: "The Illusionist." As follows:

Review Six: “The Illusionist”
By Anna Ferguson

Director: Sylvain Chomey
Writers: Sylvain Chomet, Jaques Tati
Starring: N/A
Running Time: 80 minutes

Audiences have come to expect a certain caliber and excellence from French director and writer Sylvain Chomet. Following his acclaimed 2008 animated feature “Les triplettes de Belleville” (known stateside as “The Triplets of Bellville”) and “Paris, je t’aime (a.k.a. “Paris, I Love You,” released in 2006), Chomet has developed a name for himself in the world of foreign cinema.
Without ever saying a word, Chomet is able to create characters that speak measures to the implications and affirmations of the human spirit. In his latest film, “The Illusionist,” Chomet, coupled with co-writer Jacques Tati, do not disappoint, again honing in on the intricacies of familial connections, through a sparse script, layered score and loaded visual elements.
Telling the story of a mediocre magician and his somewhat adopted daughter, Chomet follows two lonely creatures as they search for magic, love and acceptance in a confusing and cold world. Though Chomet and Tati never give their characters a name, they are somehow able to give these two desolate souls a sense of ownership that commands attention, and deserves extreme recognition from the cine-phile world.
The male lead has never cared for anyone, save himself. So when a young housemaid follows him from her grungy home and into his city apartment in search of guidance, he hesitantly accepts her at his table for one.
Buying her occasional objects of clothing and gifts as much as he can afford, the nameless elderly man attempts to shower the girl in the limited love he can supply. The youthful child, on the other hand, has never been loved by anyone, and enthusiastically accepts any memento offered her way as if it were a prize worthy of gold.
Together, in an undefined time frame- it could be weeks, it could be years- the two struggle to care for each other while also striving to find their own place in the world. But, Chomet seemingly asks, how real can a love, of any form, ever really be?
In the same silent fashion that Chomet followed in “The Triplets of Belleville,” here again he has rendered a film brimming with both obliging and cruel emotions, as well as deeply developed characters, without the aid of dialogue. Relaying almost entirely on score, animated scenery and body language, Chomet captures audiences eyes, hearts and minds for the entire 80 minute running time, transporting them into the alternative reality of heartache, strife and self-fulfilling prophecies that so often accompany relationships.
Here, Chomet has echoed the strengths he displayed in 2003’s “Triplets,” wherein he says so much without saying anything. In “Triplets,” the lead character was able to convey to audiences his frustrations with the world by a mere glance, twitch of the body and adjoining musical note.
With the two lead characters in “The Illusionist,” Chomet again evenly and deliberately sketches individuals who, despite being both fiction and animated, pop from the screen with a sense of thoughtfulness that makes them seem real.
Take, for example, when the young girl stops in front of a French boutique, eyes a lovely white coat, then looks at her own tattered and torn attire. Behind her, the fatherly man is watching her every movement, and we as the audience know precisely what both character are thinking and planning in their heads. We know that in due time, he will earn enough to give his daughter-like roommate that fancy new coat, and she will not only jump for joy, she will extend a heartfelt signing of feelings that leaves no room for question as to her admiration for his gift. No actor could portray this story as well as the animated people Chomet has created.
Typically, audiences typecast animated films into a genre meant for children. But with “The Illusionist,” as well as his previous films, Chomet has proven that drawings, set to pitch-perfect instrumentals, are just as powerful, if not more so, than any live action film.
Granted, it takes patience and an open mind to fully enjoy this picture, which is obviously meant for a specific audience. The opera goers, the ballet goers, the symphony goers, of the viewing world are the ones who will be most attached to and touched by this testimony of friendship, generosity, and ultimately, loss of innocence.
I saw 43 feature-length films, as well as about two dozen shorts, while attending the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Of all of those, perhaps a handful have stuck with me and made me ponder the intricacies of my life and place in the grander scheme of the universe. It is a pleasant surprise that I can admit, a percentage of these stellar films were lumped into the dramatic animation genre.
“The Illusionist,” as well as Cannes Film Festival Selection shorts “Chienne D’Histoire” (a.k.a. “Barking Island”) and “To Swallow A Toad,” conveyed messages in an aesthetically inspired, thought-provoking manner not readily available in today’s cinematic market. Most directors feel the need to talk to get their point across.
But by taking a creatively liberal stance, Chomet and his animated masterpiece counterparts have shown that sometimes, no words are the best words of all. Just because moments are not being narrated or spoken, it does not mean a voice is not being heard.
Rather, by entertaining and intriguing audiences with a sheerly genius score and luminous animation, Chomet and team have crafted a goldenly animated film ripe with energy, sadness and best of all, hope.