Promos look awesome don’t they?  Super-cool group of magicians embroiled in an Oceans 11 style switcheroo?  But, like the caption says ‘the closer you look, the less you’ll see’ and this flick delivers on that promise.  B+

Now You See Me, 2013

Now You See Me/NYSM accomplishes what past films centered on magic like ‘The Prestige’ couldn’t.  It manages to fool you and fool you hard.  Mark Ruffalo leads an all-star cast including Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco, Michael Caine and more.  The premise being that the four primary magicians (Eisenberg, Harrelson, Fisher & Franco) who have been separate acts their entire careers are brought together by a mystical invite from an ancient order of magicians.  When the 4 come together their act (the 4 Horsemen), becomes the hottest show in town but one of their illusions involving robbing a bank some 3000 miles away draws the attention of the FBI (led by Ruffalo) and a relentless pursuit of the group ensues.  Along the way Ruffalo finds Freeman’s character who is a magic myth debunker.  He’s made his name ripping magicians’ tricks down to the core and exposing the fraudulence in the craft.  What follows from his help and the oversight of the 4 Horseman’s benefactor Michael Caine is a frantic hunt to bring them down before they can complete their trilogy of magic shows all staged as a part of induction to the order of magicians.  Or is it?

This is the kind of flick that when the plot is revealed and the good guys and bad guys are known – you feel like you’ll have to see the film again to catch what you missed.  It’s easy to dismiss magic sequences in movies.  After all, there are special effects and almost anything you can do to pull the trick off to the viewing audience.  In essence you could do anything.  What makes NYSM such a delight is the explanation you get for the tricks you see.  It really is an inside look into the world of magic and hypnotism and shows just how far good planning and a really smart crew of magicians can be.  Eisenberg is spot on as an arrogant swaggering magician and Harrelson’s hypnotist is so smooth and suave I couldn’t help but delight in the performance.

If you’re a fan of thrillers, whodunit, magic and plot twists you won’t see coming – NYSM is for you.   Remember to relax your eyes and don’t focus on the magicians or you’ll miss the real trick. B-