NOW YOU SEE ME

I have to confess,  I love magic tricks.  I especially love the big bombastic style of tricks ie making an elephant disappear or levitation. So I think I could reasonably be regarded as among the target audience in relation to this film (someone who is willing to be fooled by illusion and sleight of hand).  The film starts strongly with four independent magicians brought together by a shadowy figure for some unknown purpose.  Suddenly we jump ahead to see them in the big league in Las Vegas with a show  that climaxes in grand larceny .  The rest of the film is essentially, Ocean’s Eleven meets The Prestige with our magicians (collectively called "the horsemen" ) pulling off  robin hood-esque crimes right in front of audiences (and the FBI).

Let’s start with the good news.  The movie has a very slick visual style moves along swiftly with few scenes that serve no purpose.  The magic acts themselves give director Louis Leterrier a chance to indulge in Houdini-like, over the top showmanship without the audience feeling that these scenes have been crowbarred in.  It is also gratifying to note that the film does not give away any “tricks of the trade” in relation to the way in which the illusions are accomplished (beyond the obvious).  The characters too are larger than life befitting the film’s extravagant, showy setting .  It is something of a problem however that the horsemen themselves when considered individually can be a bit bland.  Much more interesting is Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes.  Through his eyes  the audience sees much of the action and can sense his mounting frustration as the horsemen continually leave him lagging behind.  The film also marks the first on screen collaboration between Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.  Freeman plays Thaddeus, an arrogant know it all who delights in exposing magicians and how they do their tricks.  Is this, one wonders,  a possible dig at the masked magician  a conjurer who broke the magicians’ code by  revealing how many illusions were achieved thereby earning the undying hatred of magicians everywhere?

The problem with the film (as with any magic trick that does not go completely to plan) is the climax. Having been moving at such a fast pace and swinging from statements about corrupt banks and insurance companies  to mysterious hints of an ancient secret society  that guards the mysteries of magic,  the film then seems to become lost at the finale.  Interestingly, mentioning secret societies and rituals was a tactic that real life magicians previously used to make tricks appear to have more weight and gravitas than was actually the case.   This is not the worst ending I've ever seen and I can't deny that the twist did come as a surprise (although it was annoying that something rather important is shown in the trailer) it simply feels rushed and gives the movie an “all flash no substance” feel.  Plot threads are left unanswered or resolved at breakneck speed with one throwaway line of dialogue and the motivations of some of the characters are left unclear.  Some have suggested this is a deliberate ploy in order to pave the way for a possible sequel.  This is a generous interpretation in my opinion.

FINAL VERDICT 4/10  - ultimately fails to pull off its grand illusion but still manages to entertain to some extent along the way.