The Illusionist: Music from the Motion Picture is the official soundtrack to the 2010 animated film The Illusionist. The album was released through Milan Records and Warner Bros. Records on 14 December 2010. The songs on the record were either or orchestrated by the film's director, Sylvain Chomet, or performed by Malcolm Ross under the fictional band name The Britoons. It was generally well received, with particular praise for the songs' storytelling and its "effortless" sound.
| The Illusionist: Music from the Motion Picture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
| Released | 14 December 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Length | 42:13 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Sylvain Chomet chronology | ||||
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Background and development
editBob Last, a co-producer of the film, introduced Chomet to Malcolm Ross, a Scottish musician who was previously a part of the band Josef K.[1]
Composition
editThe soundtrackIn "Chanson Illusionist", voice impersonations of Juliette Gréco, Les Frères Jacques, Georges Brassens, Barbara, Yves Montand, Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, and Serge Gainsbourg are performed by an ensemble of voice actors.[2]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
The soundtrack received generally positive reviews from music critics. William Ruhlmann from AllMusic claimed that the record was functional and "serve[d] the small-scale, melancholy treatment of the story" well.[3] Tampa Bay Times' Steve Persall described the album as a "small marvel of music hall tunes" and congratulated Chomet for allowing the dialogue to be freely interpreted.[4] According to Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune, the ending result is effortless and acclaimed the track "Chanson Illusionist" for being a "gentle waltz".[5]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chanson Illusionist" | Sylvain Chomet |
| 4:05 |
| 2. | "Paris London" | Chomet | Chomet | 0:56 |
| 3. | "Military Opera" | Chomet | Chomet | 0:25 |
| 4. | "Molly Jean" | Malcolm Ross | The Britoons | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Love of Another Man" | Ross | The Britoons | 1:57 |
| 6. | "My Girl Blue" | Ross | The Britoons | 3:06 |
| 7. | "London Iona" | Chomet | Chomet | 1:55 |
| 8. | "Iona Oban" | Chomet | Chomet | 2:08 |
| 9. | "Oban Edinburgh" | Chomet | Chomet | 0:52 |
| 10. | "Blue Dress" | Chomet | Chomet | 0:33 |
| 11. | "Jenners" | Chomet | Chomet | 1:52 |
| 12. | "Fakir" | Chomet | Chomet | 3:06 |
| 13. | "The Clown" | Chomet | Chomet | 3:09 |
| 14. | "City Lights" | Chomet | Chomet | 3:45 |
| 15. | "North Sea" | Chomet | Chomet | 3:22 |
| 16. | "Arthur's Seat" | Chomet | Chomet | 1:07 |
| 17. | "Illusionist Finale" | Chomet | Chomet | 7:19 |
| Total length: | 42:13 | |||
Release history
edit| Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 December 2010 | Milan | [6] |
References
edit- ^ "Mongrel Media Presents: The Illusionist" (PDF). Mongrel Media. 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ Robert (28 February 2011). "What the Oscars Missed". Sketchy Details. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Sylvain Chomet / The Britoons – The Illusionist". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ Persall, Steve (9 February 2011). "'The Illusionist' relies on more than cheap tricks". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ Phillips, Michael (13 January 2011). "'Illusionist' a plaintive sleigh-of-hand charmer". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "The Illusionist: Music from the Original Motion Picture by Sylvan Chomet & The Britoons on iTunes". iTunes Store, Apple Inc. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2016.