Mainstream Hollywood, but in fact quite good

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2013)

I mostly watch art-house movies, but once in a while, Hollywood surprises me in a positive way. I really enjoyed watching 'Now You See Me'. Amidst the mindless violent crap and the overdose of special effects that Hollywood usually produces (I admit, perhaps I'm a bit prejudiced) this film stands out. It's a fast-paced, well-acted and original film that doesn't give you a chance to get bored. Of course, It's light-hearted entertainment and nothing more, and in some scenes the Hollywood predictability gets the upper hand. The car chase is a tired cliché, and the developing romance between two detectives is out of place in this film. I would also have appreciated a less cheesy ending.
On the other hand, the start of the film is wonderful. In four short, fast scenes, the leads are introduced. Each of them is a magician and we see them performing their tricks. It's exciting, it's funny and it's spectacular. The scene introducing Woody Harrelson is the best: he is great as a mentalist who can blackmail his adulterous victim in a few seconds, while his wife is standing by.
The film is essentially a traditional heist movie (think: Ocean's Eleven, Reservoir Dogs, The Italian Job) with a bunch of specialists who come together for a huge bank robbery. Only this time, the specialists are not professional bank robbers, but magicians, who call themselves The Four Horsemen. And they rob the bank while performing their show in Las Vegas.
This original concept is worked out very well. The tag line 'The closer you look, the less you see' is not just a phrase, but serves in fact as the main theme throughout the film, even up to the last surprising twist.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the soundtrack. For a change, it is not full of rock songs or spectacular sound effects, but has a nice, catchy orchestral theme that is being played during the magic shows of The Four Horsemen. A little detail I didn't like is the title. It's bland, forgettable and not related to the theme. Why not 'The Four Horsemen', or 'The Eye'. Something more intriguing would have fitted the theme of illusion versus reality.