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Who doesn’t love a magic show? There’s something about the mystery of a good trick that makes us want to get caught up in the illusion. And that’s the case for director Louis Leterrier’s new crime thriller, Now You See Me, too. It may not be genuine, but the cast puts on a decent show.
Now You See Me follows four successful magicians known as The Four Horsemen as they team up to pull off some pretty remarkable tricks. When the quartet appears to steal more than €3 million from a Parisian bank during a Vegas performance—before distributing the stolen money to their audience—they attract the attention of both Interpol and the FBI.
The investigation is led by FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), a frustrated skeptic who wants nothing more than to wipe the smug grins off the Horsemen’s faces. With help from a pretty Interpol agent (Mélanie Laurent) and a famous debunker (Morgan Freeman), he sets out to stop the magical criminals—only to find that he’s always a step or two behind.
Just like any other magic show, Now You See Me requires a suspension of disbelief. After all, this isn’t the smart crime caper that you might be expecting (or at least hoping for). Instead, it’s a flashy but amusing illusion—one whose success relies almost entirely on the audience’s willingness to play along.
The film definitely has its share of flaws. The dialogue is sometimes uncomfortably awkward—especially when it’s coming from the quartet’s lesser magicians, played by Isla Fisher and Dave “I’m James Franco’s Brother” Franco. Ruffalo’s character, meanwhile, is sadly clichéd and blatantly clueless. And when the story comes together in the end, it’s best not to try too hard to make sense of it.
But Now You See Me also offers plenty of entertaining [movie] magic. While the CGI tricks often feel a bit cheap, it’s still surprisingly easy to get caught up in the illusion and imagination of it all. And the massive, star-studded ensemble cast makes it all worthwhile. Freeman and Michael Caine may appear in relatively small roles, but they give the film some substance, while Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson give it plenty of attitude (think Eisenberg in The Social Network and Harrelson in…well…anything).
Now You See Me definitely isn’t a movie for the skeptics or the nit-pickers. It’s a little bit cheesy—and if you analyze it too much, you’re sure to be disappointed. But if you’re willing to give in to the flawed magic of it all, it’s still silly, showy fun.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.