Now You See Me
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent (Rated M – 115 min)
Like all good magic shows, suspension of disbelief is constantly required during Now You See Me – an alternative heist drama about a well dressed troupe of illusionists who rip off banks, then give the proceeds to their appreciative audience.
Randomly brought together due to their expertise in various fields of magic, these new friends are forced upon each other to be a successful pageant of trickery. ‘The Four Horsemen’ as the spellbinding quartet are known, do all their dirty work, so it seems, from the Vegas stage. Masters of individual awe, deception is their ultimate game. Forget tacky card tricks or pulling a rabbit out of a hat, they go for the big pay off to wow the crowds, literally.
Gaining the attention of the FBI and interpol, they are cornered suspects in a spate of global robberies but no one can place any of them at the scene of the crimes. The public understandably go wild at their eventful productions and clamour to partake in the riches, but not all is quite right. Special Agent Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) suspects fraud, but remains blatantly clueless to proceedings, possibly for a reason we later find out. It is the inclusion of Sir Michael Caine that is the most interesting. At first he seems like just an unfortunate investor but after a period of, let’s just say telekinetic criminal elements, anything seems possible in the outcome of his diminishing business interests.
I certainly do not want to give anything further away in this review, however be prepared for an outside the box surprise ending. Lead by hypnotist Woody Harrelson, acting all round is infectious, the all star cast is obviously having fun playing mind games in what turns out to be quite a unique concept for an entertaining movie. Australia’s own Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic) is flashy and feminine, she ignites the screen when you least expect it.
In an attempt to distract your attention, If you look closely, there are certain flaws in the script, but who cares, ‘Now You See Me’ is an imaginative good time. See it before someone reveals the secretive plot twists. Morgan Freeman is a powerful presence as usual, ever reliable to put a spin on proceedings simply by using that distinct voice to command authority. Nothing up his sleeve… oh yes there is!
Shane A. Bassett
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