The Illusionist (2010)

Ah, so sumptuous I could pepper it and eat it.

Now here's a great example of why I'm an old school 2d animation fan. The Illusionist showcases beautiful art and animation that is retro in both feel and setting. Set in 1959, the detail and atmosphere present in the featured cities of Paris, London and Edinburgh is quite frankly...breathtaking. And I'm not even mentioning the countryside scenes...omg. The central character, a magician who's trade is doing a disappearing act, is animated so fluidly and expressively that the need for dialogue is rendered superfluous almost. The times are changing and the poor old relic of the stage is struggling to stay relevant. He still has his admirers though in the form of a pisshead Scotsman and a young girl who he quasi-adopts. There's plenty of memorable characters and scenes that lead to laughs but it's not exactly a happy tale, much more like real life.

The story struggles towards the end but I still loved it overall. Director  Sylvain Chomet has The Triplets of Belleville (2003) to his credit also which caused a bit of a stir, so that's locked in for a viewing down the road. 
I watched this at ACMI as part of their Seniors Programme but don't let that fool you into thinking it's just for old farts. I'm a youngish fart and say, "Watch it or die".
4/5