The Academy Awards are this Sunday, and everyone's abuzz over Best Picture and actor/actress nominees. And rightfully so, as this year's group of hopefuls is especially studded with award-worthy performances.

Easily overshadowed by this powerhouse of nominees is the Best Animated Feature category. First, it's one of the smallest collection of films. The category tied with Best Makeup for the least amount of names looking to take home Oscar gold (which is three).

Second, "Toy Story 3" scored a nomination, so everyone's dismissed it as a sealed deal. Also, Dreamworks biggie "How to Train Your Dragon," another familiar name, is also in the running. 

But what about "The Illusionist," the third nominee? 

The film follows the journeys of a wandering, over-the-hill magician and a teenage girl named Alice, whose individual paths inevitably intertwine and develop into a unique father-daughter bond throughout the course of their adventures.  

The tale is brought to the screen by director Sylvain Chomet, a veteran to the Best Animated Feature category who was nominated in 2004 for "The Triplets of Belleville." 

Though technically a foreign film, "The Illusionist" is a mix of English, French and Gaelic dialogue, thanks to its many character settings. Overall, the language barriers in the film are almost nonexistent, since so much of it communicates using nonverbal interaction and emotional responses.

"The Illusionist" looks both funny and touching. Because it's stuck running alongside Disney Pixar's kid-friendly epic, it's not likely to take home Oscar gold. It does, however, look to be a beautifully told story with evenly balanced humor and heart.

Milwaukee audiences finally have a chance to see it nearby, too: "The Illusionist" opens at the Downer Theatre today.