Illusion

If you were disappointed with 'Pride and Prejudice', fell asleep during 'The New World' and tried to get your money back from watching 'Elizabethtown' then you will be very well entertained by illusion. I was hooked about seven minutes into it when Mr. Baines (Douglas) reveals his notion of what romance is in film and literature. 'Illusion' only continues deliver. There are nougats of wisdom spread throughout an aesthetically rich canvas. Whenever there is a brief moment where you feel a line is too cinematically familiar there will be this raw emotion spilling out and for the first time you believe the words, because you feel the pain. The film is thick with visual and auditory nuances that make this movie a must-see-again, (i. e. notice how Cristopher always carries that same wallet in the same pocket and his pants will always be more worn in the same corner). There are mini-movies inside the movie each so different from the other yet with reoccurring themes. Plus, the soundtrack was awesome, even though I didn't recognize any of the songs. Oh, and also Christopher aged seamlessly. Lately it seems as though American film has had yearning for the extreme. As if the only ones worthy of their story being told on screen are those uncommonly brave in extraordinarily difficult situations who decide to take the difficult route. This is a film about average people who are in coincidental but plausible circumstances and who take the easy way out most of the time. These are things we all do. This is a story we have all lived; what makes this story special is that it was told by a spectacular cast and overseen by an incredible director with a vision of where American Cinema should be heading.

What a wonderful movie. I loved it so much that I never want to see it again, but I know that eventually I will pick this movie back up and watch it again. I know what you're thinking, She's crazy what's she talking about? What I am talking about is simply this, the movie made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me think all about the things that I did in life up until now. It made me think about those I left behind and or whom left me behind. It made me feel things that I did not want to feel, that I thought I had l gotten over. I do not think that I could handle watching this movie again, but I know eventually I will give it another watch or two, or three because it was that great. I loved it.

Before I get to discussing the plot of "Illusion", I should point out that the DVD, amazingly, is NOT captioned in any way (at least the DVD I saw). This is a serious problem not just for people like me who are hard of hearing because the film stars Kirk Douglas AFTER his major stroke....and it's very difficult to understand him without captions. It's a shame, as I am thrilled they'd hire a disabled man but you might struggle to understand the film at times.

Douglas plays an aging movie director who will be dying soon. One day, he has what you can only assume is a dream or vision. In this experience, a man (is he an angel?) transports the director magically to a movie theater...complete with a bed for the director. The man shows the director three short films.

The first shows the directors son, Chris, as a teen who is smitten with a girl. It's a tad creepy the way he follows her and the story ends after Chris goes through hell trying to get the girl. It also turns out that the director abandoned the son, long, long ago.

The second film shows Chris about a decade later. He and the girl have gone their separate ways. He is a goth who works for a very self-absorbed no-talent performance artist. One day the artist announces to Chris, his assistant, that he saw the most amazing woman on the street and Chris' job is to find her and invite her to a big event. He's also told if he doesn't find her, he's losing his job and not getting paid! When Chris tracks her down with the clues the artist gives him, he finds it's the same girl from the first film.

In the third and supposedly final film, you see Chris again...about a decade later. He's just being released from prison and goes to the old town looking for the girl. He cannot find her but is befriended by a nice guy (Bryan Cranston) who invites him to his house for a party. At the party, he sees the girl...but it appears that she's married to this nice man and has his child. But is this all? Is there, possibly, a fourth reel?

The film is both very surreal in style and existential as it asks questions about the meaning of life. Both make it a film that many probably might not like, as it's anything but a Hollywood style film. It is something that might appeal to folks who like the films of Ingmar Bergman as well as Kurosawa's later films, as these two famous directors were some of the few who did films that explored these issues. Overall, a truly unique and interesting movie...one that you really should see if you want something different...or if you don't mind exploring your life and life choices.

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.

Are the highlights of our lives inscribed in a great "Book of Life?" What kind of impact do our actions (and inactions) have on others' lives? Can we redeem the past with good works in the present? Can a movie that takes on these deep questions be captivating, entertaining and inspiring … all at once? In his new film, Illusion, director/writer/co-star Michael Goorjian answers these questions with an emphatic yes! Illusion is a love story pairing Christopher Baines (Goorjian) with Isabelle (Karen Tucker) in a dance of thwarted intentions. But it's Christopher's father, Donald, played by the legendary Kirk Douglas in a luminous performance, who may hold the key to their future. Donald, on his deathbed, regrets having forgone love in his life for the sake of his career, his biggest regret being the abandonment of Christopher, his illegitimate son, 30 years earlier. With some "magical" help from Stan (Ron Marasco), a long- deceased favorite film editor, Donald is shown three films -- three visions -- each representing a different period of Christopher's life, each reflecting the impact of his abandonment. In a romantic homage to Capra's classic It's A Wonderful Life, Goorjian masterfully leads us through the yearnings, the dangers and pathos, and the possibilities for redemption that we all face. This is terrific storytelling, a drama of life, love and death, with a tone and texture that lead us all to question, how real and immutable is this life we lead, and how much of it is just a fable, a dream, an Illusion? A treat for heart and soul.