Foreign Film Friday

Magic tricks can’t compete with rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s, so a French illusionist finds himself touring Scotland’s shabby pubs and run-down restaurants. But things brighten for him when he meets Alice, a girl who believes his powers are real. Together they travel to Edinburgh for a performance, but he doesn’t have the heart to reveal that his feats are merely tricks, and risks financial ruin by giving her gifts supplied by his “magic.”

The Illusionist was nominated for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. This film is in French with English subtitles.