Magical Mystery film in a 60s Euro-Romp tradition that may not bring out the child in you but will sometimes treat you like one!

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2013)

We caught this movie at a special "advanced screening" this week in the UK, though it has been out for a few weeks in the States.
Four street magicians (Harelson, Fisher, Eisenberg and Franco) are hand picked by a mysterious hooded man to follow a grand plan, using incredible magic tricks to help right some historic wrongs centring on a once great magician who died attempting a career reviving "underwater safe" escape trick years earlier. They hit a French bank, an insurance magnate, a Safe manufacturer and a slimy professional "magic debunker" who destroys careers for his own profit - All LIVE on stage. An FBI agent (Ruffalo) and a sexy French interpol officer (Laurent) try to track them down but are always one step behind "The 4 horsemen" and their mysterious leader.
"Now You See Me" is an interesting little film, if only for what it tries, or THINKS its trying to do. The movie is a would be mind-frakk puzzle picture using the ever popular "magic" cover to play with ideas of perception and comprehension, giving us false leads and upside down pictures all the way. It is easier said than done however, and to be honest it doesn't quite make it. The puzzle elements seem rather underwhelming, as if written for and by 8-10 yrs olds, and many adults in the audience may feel their intelligence being slightly insulted at many points. Also the "power of Magic" idea running through it doesn't really translate to the modern cynical world. Is there ANYONE who DOESN'T know its all being done with smoke and mirrors and misdirection? Can a person become a multi-millionaire downloading programmes exposing Magicians as fakes? Would we even WANT to know how its done? Doesn't that ruin the magic of Magic?
Not in this world, where people, even intelligent ones, remain goggle eyed in awe at even the simplest street conjuring tricks, and four rather tame (even slightly lame) street magicians can become national sensations overnight as "The Four Horseman" even though in the real world such fame and sensationalism nowadays would come largely from driving kebab skewers into your own liver or setting yourself on fire whilst suspended naked over the Washington Memorial ("The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" had the same conversation earlier this year) Indeed there is a rather retro feel to the whole project, with those sort of happy go lucky, gay spirited Euro romps of the 1960s like "How to Steal a Million" "Gambit" and "Topkapi" being its obvious inspiration. Problem of course is that this is a new world now, a more cynical and unforgiving one, and its light playfulness and easy "magic" feel doesn't really translate well.
The director is of course Louis Letterier, the French man of action from the Besson stable who gave us "The Transporter" movies and more recently the successful updating of "The Incredible Hulk" and the less successful updating of "Clash of the Titans". He channels not only those easy Euro comedies ( a very popular genre in French cinema of the time) but also an earlier Gallic series "Judex", the masked magician who righted the injustices done to his family by the rich and powerful men of finance, as well as fighting the liars and oppressors of all classes and castes in the name of the innocent. He used magic to overcome his enemies, and also recruited a circle around him of hand picked assistants who had the heart and skill to become part of "Team Judex". It became a successful silent series in 1914-15, and also a very lovely film in 1961 by Georges Franju (now on DVD) The identity of this latest incarnation of "Judex" (nowadays sporting a hoodie rather than his old uniform of fedora and face scarf) is revealed at the end, Who it is it would be wrong to say, but the field of suspects is limited, so a random shot may easily pick the right one.
The show scenes are OK, if obviously done with CGI rather than any practical magical tricks. There is some action, including a crazed fight between the FBI and Danny Franco in his apartment, where magicians tricks are used as weapons as much as martial arts moves, and a tyre screeching car chase with a very unusual conclusion which reminds us this was made by the guy who brought you "The Transporter" series.
Acting wise everyone is good, especially Ruffalo, a great actor finally getting some of the recognition and kudos he deserves, who shows the frustration and rage of a professional trying to bring down something he cannot understand nor fight in the traditional manner. Melanie Laurent (Inglorious Basterds' plucky Jewish cinema owner) is perky and French as the perky French Interpol agent sent to work the Paris connection in America, becoming Ruffalo's partner, magical consultant, "find the magic in your heart" cod philosopher and eventual romantic interest. Michael Caine does what he used to do very well, take a big cheque and coast in light material of this kind, while Morgan Freeman, another actor of stature who never let a poor script get in the way of an easy pay day, gives just enough to be convincing as the slimy professional "magic debunker"
Not the edgy dark drama it seems from the trailer, nor alas the brain- teasing puzzle picture ala "The Game" or "House of Games" or "Inception" that they would like it to be. It is best enjoyed a breezy, fun picture which is different enough from the other movies around it to be a breath of some fresh air in this summer season. Just don't get offended when it talks down to you!