Magicians

I keep a "list" of movies I want to see, and somehow - I don't exactly recall - "The Magicians" ended up on it. While it had a cute concept, and some good actors, it just didn't "work" for me. A lot of the scenes looked like they were shot on a set, a look not unlike "One From The Heart", that abomination of a film made by Coppola in 1982, entirely on a soundstage. "Magicians" even used cute "roadsigns" on a miniature set looking like a road into Vegas for the opening credits. I saw it on DVD - no digital sound source, no menu, no extras, perhaps the poorest DVD I've seen so far.

The biggest gripe I have with the story is this -- Hugo is a masterful thief, and that's how the movie starts. Then he steals a van for 4 of them to go from NYC to Vegas. The movie ends up with all of them apparently happy, smiling, with no restitution for the crimes. A clear message that it is OK to be a thief, as long as you are charming. To me this is a serious flaw, and part of the reason I can rate it no higher than "5".

The bulk of the movie is about these 4 flawed people getting together to make an act and make it big in LasVegas. Max (Til Schweizer) is flamboyant but without much talent. Hugo (Fabrizio Bentiviglio) is a "loner" who hustles a living as a pickpocket and grifter, has amazing talents but just wants to be left alone. Lydia (Claire Forlani) is the cute, blonde waitress who has "nothing to lose" by quitting her job and becoming a magician's assistance. Milo (Alan Alda) manages magic acts and sees potential, especially in Hugo.

They head out west, and develop their magic act "on the road", usually in the evening at the motel stops. The film is a comedy. The magic act is not very good. The combination of characters is like mixing oil and water. There is a humorous encounter with a cop looking for the stolen van. The actors did as good as they could with the script, but this writer/director is just not up to the standards being set by the better ones. Although this film can be enjoyed by certain people, I believe it has very limited appeal and could not in clear conscience recommend it to anyone.

I'm a bit of a movie snob, and admittedly, this is in the Godfather or even some Woody Allen classic, but this is a really funny movie and it's also quite heartfelt. It's a real shame that this is basically impossible to find. I'm lucky to still have a used DVD from Blockbuster, but would love to see this streaming somewhere. If you come across it and you like bazaar comedy, I highly recommend this movie.

This is a quirky little movie, and I have to agree that there is some quirky acting in it as well.

It follows the adventures of a young man who decides that he wants to become a famous Las Vegas illusionist, and is partly about following his dream, partly about the dreams of others, and all about the travails of showbiz. I thought the movie was charming, and it has a moment or two of real magic that make the whole thing worthwhile.

Alan Arkin is terrific as the magician who never was, and his mentoring of Max makes for a funny and touching relationship.

Not for everyone, probably, but if you like movies about the journey, then I think you'll like this one.

I stumbled across this DVD at my local Blockbuster and was pleasantly surprised with the production qualities along with the acting. The script was a little weak in places but overall it is a nice little fun film about a couple of would be magicians, their assistant and mentor (Alan Arkin)who travel to Las Vegas to make it big.

Being a magician myself, I got a kick out of the film and what these people go through.

I have wanted to see this for the longest time, James Merendino is a great director. SLC Punk is one of my favorite movies, and in the first ten minutes of this film I thought that it was a great follow up after that though, it begins to drag. The acting and direction were terrific. In fact everything in the film seemed to flow except for the script. At times, the only thing keeping my attention was the fact that in the cast was the most beautiful woman in the world, Claire Forlani. This film was good, but I expected more.

P.S. Look for great cameos by Chi McBride, and Chris McDonald.