L'Illusionniste / The Illusionist Film d'animation / Animation feature film Sylvain Chomet (2010) Written by Sylvain Chomet and Jacques Tati Jacques Tati originally wrote the script for The Illusionist. It was a love letter from a father to his first daughter, but never got produced. Sylvain Chomet, director of The Triplets of Belleville / Les Triplettes de Belleville, adapted the script and once again used his own original animated style. Official Selection: 2010 Berlin International Film Festival Official Selection: 2010 Toronto International Film Festival Opening Night: 2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival Academy Award. Animated Feature, nominated (last 3) César Academy, winner.

Playtime (1967) The Darjeeling Limited (2007) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson’s inspired cinema definitely stands on its own, but it also relates to the Hulot universe ànd Tati’s movie language. Especially the director himself talked about Tati’s cinema on several occasions. Anderson on Tati: “He has a silhouette that you can make into a cartoon; just his walk is a great creation.”

“Jacques Tati’s "Playtime” like “2001: A Space Odyssey” or “The Blair Witch Project” or “Russian Ark,” is one of a kind, complete in itself, a species already extinct at the moment of its birth…" -Roger Ebert- Stills from Russian Ark, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Playtime. Signature shots from the one-point perspective. (note: some stills are less linear than others)

Vive le VéloSolex? Picture: Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Jacques Tati “Mon oncle”, 1958. Montage d'une image célèbre du film avec une photo prise dans le jardin des Tuileries à proximité du Jeu de Paume (Vert et Plume, mai 2010)

Les Vacances de Mr Hulot Jacques Tati, 1953

Hulot à la plage - David Merveille Mr Hulot s’expose

Playtime (1967) The Darjeeling Limited (2007) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson’s inspired cinema definitely stands on its own, but it also relates to the Hulot universe ànd Tati’s movie language. Especially the director himself talked about Tati’s cinema on several occasions. Anderson on Tati: “He has a silhouette that you can make into a cartoon; just his walk is a great creation.”

Jacques Tati plays football in the 1960s in the garden of his house in Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris. Photo credit : AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Jacques Tati launching into the construction of “Tativille” for his film PLAYTIME (1967). Ph. André Dino. © Les Films de Mon Oncle. Third picture: PlayTime’s settings/scaffolding inspired the Mondriaan-like sculpture made of forged metal. (see also: the wonderful PlayTime poster)

Jacques Tati “Mon oncle”, 1958. Montage d'une image célèbre du film avec une photo prise dans le jardin des Tuileries à proximité du Jeu de Paume (Vert et Plume, mai 2010)

Mon Oncle

Jacques Tati

Pierre Etaix et Annie Fratellini dans Le Grand Amour, 1969.

France Rumilly °May 1, 1939, Boulogne-Billancourt, France Wearing funny glasses in: 1/ Le gendarme se marie, 1968 (La religieuse) 2/ Playtime, 1967 (Woman Selling Eyeglasses)

L'Illusionniste (2010, Chomet)

Production sketch and animation still

L'Illusionniste (2010, Chomet)

Production sketch and animation still

L'Illusionniste (2010, Chomet)

Production sketch and animation still The pawnbroker’s shop is called “Brown and Blair”, a clear reference to the last two Labour Prime Ministers of the UK. The shopfront is modeled on the real Duncanson & Edwards pawnbrokers on Edinburgh’s Queen Street.