Miss Shumway jette un sort

Give this little movie a break. It can actually be funny at times. Don't expect something deep and meaningful, but there are worse ways you could spend an hour and 45 minutes out of your life. Besides, it's got Russell Crowe in it.

I happen to think it is a pretty good movie. It's got magic and love and Russell Crowe and it's nice. It's an entertaining love story, with a touch of magic. How can you not enjoy that? Also, did I mention it has magic in it? ;)

When I first saw this movie I knew I liked it immensely, but I didn't really know why. I had to see it several times before I really "got" it. It's a very very different movie. The symbolism was a treat! Things which were shown in a fantasy-type way are things which happen in real life--e.g. bitterness being shown as an egg being laid that when hatched, is a venomous spider. In this movie, just about anything can happen! Love is magic but love can't happen with bitterness in the way; likewise, magic can't happen without love. The actors exuded the '40's style with finesse with the witty lines, and Bridget Fonda's costumes were exciting. I will surely watch this movie again and share it with others.

When I accidentally caught this on HBO many years ago, I wasn't paying very close attention at first; but as the movie continued, I became increasingly intrigued by its quirkiness. Based on the 1944 book 'Miss Shumway Waves a Wand', the story takes place in L.A. and Mexico, and follows magician Myra Shumway (played by Bridget Fonda) as she escapes from her sleazy, wealthy fiancé and falls in love with detective Alex Ross (played by a young Russell Crowe). Things become more surreal as elements of film noir begin to mix with magic realism.

Much of the focus is on what Myra describes as "that terribly empty space between my heart and my head" – that is, the balance between the power of intuition and emotion on one side and calculating rationality on the other. Practical thinking alone, we learn, leads nowhere good. Love, on the other hand, is a liberating force. Unfortunately, in an effort to invoke 'magic' in the film, the word is repeated too many times with an irritating lack of subtlety, especially by a snake-oil salesman played by Jim Broadbent. And that's the film's main weakness: too often it spells out its intentions and gives away its tricks. This said, I was still charmed by director Clare Peploe's daring playfulness. While the film isn't perfect, it has a lot of heart and feels a bit like a strange dream at times. The story takes some wild, unexpected turns and I was entertained throughout, even upon a second viewing. I couldn't disagree more with those who suggest Bridget Fonda isn't right for the role. She's fantastic! I find her quite believable and sexy as Miss Shumway. Russell Crowe is appropriately suave and Mexican American comedian Paul Rodriguez occasionally steals the show.

'Rough Magic' doesn't take itself too seriously. Its kind of fantasy feels both mainstream and eccentric in a way that reminds me of HBO's Tales From The Crypt, only it's romantic, rather than macabre. Check it out one lazy evening, perhaps with the company of some magic potion.

Rough Magic is one of those movies that doesn't seem to be what it is, and at times doesn't seem sure itself what type of movie it is. It begins with a heroine on the run, and quickly becomes very surreal. I liked the characters, but the story wasn't quite strong enough to hold it all together, and it dissolutes almost completely at the ends, as if they ran out of ideas and decided to end it. Still, it's worth watching for the bizarre spins of events and some very funny moments.