back in 2003, Sylvain Chomet’s brilliant TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE got past me. I didn’t see it at the festival…wasn’t even on my radar. So when I skimmed the list of films coming to TIFF this year, I was determined not make the same mistake I twice.

As you may or may not have heard on The Matineecast, L’ILLUSIONISTE dazzles from the moment the curtain opens…even if it takes a few tries to get that curtain open. The title refers to a magician who tries hard, but often finds himself struggling for steady work. When he’s hired to bring his act to Scotland, his luck takes an uptick when he meets the sweetest young lady who believes in him in every way possible.

This might not seem like that compelling of a story, but it features an ill-tempered bunny, a hip bunch of gunslingers named Billy Boy & The Britoons, an inn that seems to be run by Barnum & Bailey and a lot of child-like wonder.

The 2-D animation is truly stunning to behold, and all has a glorious painterly quality to it. In addition, it is all set to a script written by French comic Jacques Tati. It all comes together wonderfully to form something truly charming, and also beautifully melancholy. It’s a pure film that communicates so much with so little dialogue.

THE ILLUSIONIST is a film that wants us to believe – to believe in ourselves, to believe in possibilities, and indeed to believe in magic. It leads us down a very emotional path, sparking a lot of laughs and a few tears before the journey’s end. In a year that has brought us some wonderful animated films, it makes a strong case for being the best one yet.

THE ILLUSIONIST plays TIFF once more – Sunday September 19th at 6:30. It will get a limited North American release this Christmas.