The Illusionist and The Triplets of Bellville - French Cinema Series

THE ILLUSIONIST(L'Illusionniste)(2010, United Kingdom/France) Directed by Sylvain ChometSylvain Chomet channels the visual expressiveness and effortless charm of Jacques Tati into this almost wordless paean to a world and an art form long gone by. The Illusionist of the title faces the ragged end of a stage career alone, having been pushed aside by newer attractions, until he meets a young girl, captivated by his magic, who changes his life forever.THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE(2003, France/Belgium/Canada/United Kingdom) Directed by Sylvain ChometCombining bike racing, jazz, gangsters and the movies into a dizzying animated confection, The Triplets of Belleville is a Francophile's dream come true. Chomet's debut was nominated for an Oscar and helped prove that the obituaries for hand-drawn two-dimensional animation were extremely premature.