i finally watched The Illustionist last weekend and:
- edward norton is not in it you guise MY CREYS. (lol jk)
- it’s freaking brilliant!
where do i start.
1. the boundaries of 3D animation / motion graphic is being expanded as we speak now and it’s fascinating what can be done with it, but nothing beats hand-drawn illustration. i really like hand-drawn illustration (and also stop motion animation) because as a viewer, you still can somewhat imagine how the magnificent imagery is created. it feels organic and more accessible.
reminded me of this quote:
“Do everything by hand, even when using the computer” - Hayao Miyazaki
2. the poignant storyline (with such minimum dialogue!). the story is not at all what i expected. also, in animation films (where every single thing is literally an artifice ie. fabricated), it’s quite an achievement to convey something so genuinely compelling and subtle.
when i watched that montage scene on Up (you know which one!), i cried. but the ending of this film left me with something not as clear-cut as sorrow (or the need to bawl like a 5-year old in the middle of a full theater) and definitely more unsettling.
3. the social commentary. i cannot really elaborate this without giving spoilers, but let’s just say that i really like how this film make us (re)think about “big” sociological themes such as consumerism and mass communication without being blatantly ironic/preachy about it.
has anyone seen this film? what do you think?
#FutileAttemptToInitiateDiscussion
The score is outstanding too. Since there’s no real dialogue, the music plays an important role in this movie, setting the tone perfectly for each scene. You don’t miss the dialogue at all.
