Illusion (2004)
A once-powerful, but now ailing movie director nears the end of his life. As he awaits death, he slips into a "dream" and is shown three "snippets" of the movie of his son's life. At first suspicious, then curious, and ultimately captivated, he watches his son's growth from mid-teens to mid-thirties as the son pursues his life-long love, Isabelle. The two constants through these snippets are his pursuit of Isabelle and the imagined voice of his father, telling him that he is worthless and unwanted. It is not until the story reaches its conclusion, that the old man discovers the surprising truth about his son and himself.
Watch Trailer
Free Trial Channels
Cast
Reviews
The greatest movie ever!
Excellent, a Must See
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
I do not know what or why Kirk Douglas or the innocent audience members could possibly have done to be punished to be held captive watching such amateurish drivel of a script and performances. Mr. Douglas despite his speech impediment due to his stroke is still light years away from this excercise in complete inanity and is the only bright spot in the whole proceedings. The script's contrivances are so obvioous that they cause unexpected laughter. When your main hero is a clod and heroine a cloddess there is very little to root for along with such arch melodramatics from the varied clichéd antoganists ie: performance arts villain, corporate nerd villain and gas station meanie villain. It gives one hope that death will release all of us from this hideous collection of vignettes that are suppose to give us a morality tale to take to heart. I would advise to take to the hills if ever you meet this mess of a movie again!
This film is wonderfully moving and beautifully crafted. Kirk Douglas's performance was near perfect as the hard-headed businessman producer, a man's man, who has an experience that penetrates to the depth of his vulnerabilities. The scenes between Douglas and Ron Marasco as Stan are wonderful with captivating and moving performances on both sides. Writer/director Michael Goorjian was nicely understated in his role as Douglas's son and Karen Tucker was charming as Isabelle.We need more of this type of film. It has an uplifting message that leaves one smiling. It could have easily become saccharine and sentimental but does not. It made me smile.We saw it paired with the short, "The 100% Perfect Girl" by Greg Boudreau, a marvelous combination.
This is one of those stories that just adds up. I saw this at the Palm Springs film festival and was of course impressed by Kirk's performance but was impressed even more so by the nature of the story. Based on a french play, the conceit of the piece is clever and resonant. We would all like the opportunity to rewrite something about our lives, this takes that idea and the idea of love showing itself regardless of distance or time to a new level.I think this is a great piece for families. While the audience I was with was rather old there is nothing in this that would not appeal to anyone who has a father, with whom they might have a difficult relationship or for that matter anyone with a child.
The "Illusion" reminds me of Cinema Paradiso and Broadway Danny Rose in that it challenges the viewer to suspend its belief and follow the fantasy of second chances and missed opportunities. This is done in an effective manner with the main characters played by Kirk Douglas and Mike Goorjian.The challenges of the film are evident in how much to show both the viewer and Douglas' character without giving away the whole truth. Goorjian's character is consistently interesting in that with no direct intervention of a patriarch, he is destined to attack life in unconventionally original ways. An example of this is the wooing of his first and only love by round-robin poetry. Douglas is very engaging, searching for his son through the only medium which he can relate-cinema. Understandably, neither character changes, until the very end. It is a sad statement on the affairs of father/son relationships. Not being able/unwilling to relate seems to be the common theme in this film. However, when it counts, a true father's voice will always ring loud and clear. The performances are consistent and distant at the same time. This is clearly a complex film which simply describes lost relationships rediscovered in the only medium that can truly impacts everyone. Yet its appeal can translate to all ages. This film should be seen all and I feel that Kirk Douglas may finally have found his first Oscar.