The Illusionist
Synopsis
Watching his performance to the excited villagers who are celebrating the arrival of electricity to their remote island, Alice becomes awestruck by the Illusionist and believes his tricks are real magic. Following him to Edinburgh, she keeps his home while he goes to work in a small local theatre. Enchanted by her enthusiasm for his act, he rewards her with increasingly lavish gifts he has 'conjured' into existence. Desperate not to disappoint her, he cannot bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist but buying these gifts is driving him to ruin.
Alice comes of age, she finds love and moves on. The Illusionist no longer has to pretend and, untangled from his own web of deceit, resumes his life as a travelling entertainer, a much wiser man.
Details
- Year
- 2009
- Type of film
- Features
- Running time
- 83 mins
- Format
- 35mm
- Director
-
Sylvain Chomet
- Producer
- Philippe Carcassonne, Jake Eberts
- Screenwriter
- Jacques Tati, adapted by Sylvain Chomet
- Production Designer
- Bjarne Hansen
Genre
Production Status
Production Company
Django Films Illusionist Ltd
Django Films12/196 Rose Street
Edinburgh
EH2 4AT
UK
T +44 (0)1312 267 324
Sales Company
Pathe International
Kent House14-17 Market Place
London
W1W 8AR
UK
T +44 (0)20 7323 5151
www.patheinternational.com
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Director: Akporé Uzoh
Year: 2025
The aftermath of a sexual assault (rape). Exploring the deep-felt consequences for all involved. At its heart an epic story of a couple's fight for the survival of their love.

Director: Adam Park
Year:
Told through leaked footage compiled by a whistle-blower, the film follows Emma and Richard, a couple thrust into the wilderness to survive for 100 days. Their confidence quickly turns to terror as a malevolent creature begins stalking them, ultimately killing Richard in a gruesome attack. Emma escapes and infiltrates the facility where the show's creators review their "progress." There, she discovers the chilling truth: the creature is part of their unholy science. With the odds stacked against her, Emma turns the tables - delivering brutal justice with unexpected aid from the very horror that was meant to destroy her. A darkly satirical blend of horror, sci-fi, and mockumentary, THE WILDING exposes the monstrous extremes the powerful will go to cheat death - and the human cost of their ambition.