A terrific caper movie

Rating: 9/10 (23 May 2017)

'Now You See Me' is a great caper movie, in which mega-money heists are committed in plain sight through inexplicable circumstances to be stylishly explained later. Magic is both motive and modus operandi for a quartet of illusionists pulled together for a mysterious purpose. The main protagonists are introduced by tricks they pull. Street illusionist Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg) turns that forced card into a seduction. Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) is a glib mentalist shaking down a bad husband. Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) uses sleight of hand to pick pockets. Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) specialises in grand stage illusions. Once brought together, they perform as the 'Four Horsemen' in Las Vegas with a spectacular show bankrolled by entrepreneur Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine). The illusionists become a sensation when one of their stunts leads to a French bank robbery, the loot shared with their audience half a world away. Watching with great interest is Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), who gets rich by debunking hoaxes. Tracking with great confusion is FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol cop Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). The trail leads to breathless chases through Mardi Gras crowds, a decent car chase and twists deserving not to be spoiled, and a final reveal that lived up to the movie's tag line 'Come in close, because the more you think you see, the easier it'll be to fool you.' The dialogue is sharp, the heists clever, the effect were stunning and the plot and twists were brilliantly executed. Critics have tried to say that 'Now You See Me' is trying too hard to be another 'Ocean's Eleven' but it's not. There are similarities, it's a caper movie, the plot revolves around a huge money steal, but it's so much more, maybe nowhere near as good but it's definitely an entertaining film and well worth a watch.