Now You See Me (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 105 minutes
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Mélanie Laurent, Michael J. Kelly, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman
KRS release
J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Merrit McKinney (Woody Harrelson) are very talented and accomplished magicians.
At one point, they start receiving cards inviting them to New York and when they decide to travel there, they meet Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) who had been one of their fans and is also a magician.
They join forces and start working for the wealthy Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and become known as The Four Horsemen. Their latest stage act is simply incredible as they rob a bank! The special thing about this is that they are in Las Vegas and the bank is in Paris.
The plot is the real allure
This brings them to the attention of FBI Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), Interpol detective Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) and, most of all, ex-magician Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). Meanwhile, the four magicians plan their next big act.
Now You See Me is a slick and coolly directed movie that lives and breathes in its sleight of hand, leading the audience one way and then opening trapdoors very much like the magicians in question. Couple this with a good-looking cast and an interesting storyline, which mixes magic with crime caper, and you have a recipe for success. In fact, this film has been rewarded by over €200 million in box-office returns.
The cast members all fit into stereotype roles: Eisenberg is confident, Harrelson has seen it all while Franco is naïve; yet they all seem fresh in the way Louis Leterrier moves them around like chess pieces in a game.
The plot is the real allure and it has all the necessary razzle and dazzle. The film keeps the audience on its toes as one tries to outguess the next move and to see the sleight of hand before it actually happens.
It’s always nice to watch veteran actor Caine having fun and it is obvious that that is what he is doing in this film.
Leterrier, who has directed the likes of Transporter 2 (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Clash of the Titans (2010), delivers a glossy movie, which is quite a fine example of how a film can be popcorn entertainment and at the same time deliver somethingthat is quite artistic in its technical accomplishments.
It is actually Leterrier who is the magician here, as he uses every camera and editing trick in the book and every angle possible to deliver a visual ride.
Now You See Me is well planned out and structured to keep its viewer guessing away and the result is a film that is delightful eye candy.