Now You See Me

Now You See Me, a surprise hit from earlier this year, is an entertaining if ridiculously far-fetched film. It deals with magicians pulling robberies, and if you like magic you'll probably like it; if you don't, you won't.

The film opens with vignettes of four magicians doing their acts at various levels of success. Jesse Eisenberg plays a card magician, Woody Harrelson a mentalist and hypnotist, Dave Franco a pickpocket, and Isla Fisher an escape artist. They are contacted by a mysterious figure, who employs them to work together. They become famous Las Vegas stage musicians as a foursome ("The Four Horsemen") and stun everyone by somehow robbing a French bank while in Las Vegas.

This brings them the attention of FBI agent Mark Ruffalo, along with Interpol agent Melanie Laurent. Added to the mix are Michael Caine, as the Horsemen's financial backer, and Morgan Freeman, as an ex-magician who makes money revealing other magicians' secrets. Everything is tied to a magician who disappeared trying to do an escape from a locked safe dropped into a river.

The film is full of twists and turns and shifting allegiances and has a final twist that I didn't anticipate. I like magic, to a certain extent, if it's the more cerebral Ricky Jay or Penn & Teller type (no David Blaine or Copperfield for me, thanks). The script, by a trio of writers, has a certain affection for magic and magicians, as those featured here steal from the rich and give to the poor.

But magic doesn't work well in films, because we already know that film is a type of magic. Stage magic works better, because the special effects aren't so obvious. Misdirection is the key to magic, and that doesn't work in film because film is an art form that focuses the viewer on a specific thing.

I also eye-rolled a bit at the extent of the magicians' exploits, including a finale that seems to have involved Con Edison. Where they got the funds to stage all this is a mystery. Another trick involved Woody Harrelson somehow getting control of a New York City bus. Right.

The film did excellent counter-programming business this early summer, and a sequel is scheduled. I might check it out, if only as a rental.