Illusion (2004)
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36% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
81% of users liked it
(807 ratings)
Director Michael A. Goorjian's Illusion tells the tale of a dying film director who, after leading a lavish life of fame and fortune, finds out too little too late what it truly means to live and be loved. Mr. Baines (Kirk Douglas) is a Hollywood icon who has agreed to grant one final interview… More Director Michael A. Goorjian's Illusion tells the tale of a dying film director who, after leading a lavish life of fame and fortune, finds out too little too late what it truly means to live and be loved. Mr. Baines (Kirk Douglas) is a Hollywood icon who has agreed to grant one final interview before drifting into that good night. As Mr. Baines drifts wearily in and out of consciousness throughout the course of the interview, his long deceased editor returns to join him in going back over the footage of his life. While Mr. Baines never married, he did father an illegitimate son named Christopher (Goorjian) whom he abandoned as a child and never returned to. Now, on the screen before him, Mr. Baines watches mournfully as the tragic life of his long lost son plays out to its devastating conclusion. Upon viewing the heartbreaking footage Mr. Baines begins to realize that it was his own cowardice that ultimately fed his son's crippling sense of worthlessness and cemented the boy's grim fate. Despite Christopher's lifelong love of his childhood sweetheart Isabelle, an endless series of fateful mishaps constantly seemed to prevent the boy from finding true happiness with the ethereal beauty. As the film of Christopher's life careens towards tragedy time and again, the dying director implores his faithful editor to allow him the final cut that will save the picture. After living a lifetime of missed opportunities, the man who thought he had it all will now attempt to summon the dying might for one last opportunity to let his son know what it truly means to love, and be loved in return. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Michael A. Goorjian
- Genres
- Drama
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Feb 17, 2006 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
There's a sincerity to the filmmaking here that's at times quite touching: Illusion presents a portrait of true love that's as picture perfect as the sunny spring garden in which we see Isabelle.
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Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Douglas does his best acting while watching and reacting to what he sees on screen. If this ends up being his cinematic swan song, it will not have been a bad way to go.
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Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
No doubt the director worked with what he could get, and was extremely fortunate that he could get an icon of the screen to bless his project.
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Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
One of the worst dramas I have ever seen. In fact, this movie is so dramatically inept that I wanted to tear my eyeballs out.
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Rory L. Aronsky, Film Threat
Unavoidably, there are some sugary moments and clichés such as rain-soaked kisses and outlandish "artistic" stage performances, but [Illusion] keeps hold of that just-another-day-in-Hollywood feeling.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Kirk Douglas
as Donald Baines
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Michael A. Goorjian
as Christopher Baines
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Karen Tucker
as Isabelle
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Ron Marasco
as Stan
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Richmond Arquette
as Mortimer Malalatete
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Ted Raimi
as Ian
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Bryan Cranston
as David Bennett
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Kristen Clement
as Sara
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Eugeniy Voronin
as Vladimir
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Gibson Frazier
as Interviewer
- Jules Bruff
- Kevin Weisman
- Nancy Jeffries
- Michael Kemmerling
