Magicians: Life in the Impossible

You know what film is an 8/10 or a 9/10? Wolf of Wallstreet. You know what film is not? Documentary on Magicians. Yet, judging by all of the high star ratings and glowing reviews, you'd think this film may win an Oscar(and one fake reviewer even suggested it!). Wrong. Fake reviews....they are plaguing IMDb.

Many of these reviewers have ONLY reviewed ONE FILM (This film!). The one reviewer who has multiple previously-reviewed films gives an unbiased, low rating. Surprise: 3 out of 4 people said his review was Not helpful. Weird right? A very insightful, unbiased review is met with such universal disagreement. I'm guessing These fake reviewers can't help but also sabotage legitimate reviews too. Pathetic.

Note to fake reviewers: at least pump in a few reviews for other films so you can appear to be a film fan and not affiliated with the film you are reviewing.

If anyone involved in the film (aka the fake reviewers) is reading this, please take note: YOU ARE RUINING IMDb! It has become a biased, fictitious ratings-land where the average consume cannot get an objective review of a film.

My suggestion: move along to a film that stands on its own merit and doesn't need to trick you into viewing.

This is a solid documentary. As long as you don't expect it to explain tricks like an episode of Myth Busters (which it doesn't claim to do) and you come to this subject with general knowledge (an average viewer), then I can fully recommend the film. It covers 4 to 5 main subjects --which is a lot to handle-- so critiques that the doc didn't go "deep enough" aren't relevant when considering the scope, and this movie has plenty of depth to it. More than I expected. It seems that the sour reviewers here mirror some of the very same jaded and cynical traits that they criticize.

I thought what this movie showed was brave. It felt like an honest, real edit. There are plenty of scenes that would never make it into a reality TV show because they don't fit into TV's simple dramatic themes. There are issues that are both dark and subtle (that don't necessarily have a satisfying made-for-TV resolution). But that's what sets apart a good documentary from a cheap TV show. The filmmakers couldn't have known how each character's life was going to play out, and they seemed to represent it honestly.

The reviewer who rated this movie a "1" is doing an even larger disservice to the film than the reviewers he suspects are fake (which are few). And his history is more biased than these supposed "fake reviewers" as well, given that a "1" is his third most common score (after a "10" and a "9" respectively).

It's such a shame that the message boards were taken away. I've seen several movies since then that I would've really liked to discuss (not tweet about).

I was always fascinated by magic as a child because it was something different and it was something people do not understand. I was young and naive then and my perception on magic has changed.

Magic is not a world of innocence or astounding confusion but magic is dog eat dog world. Criss Angel got his bite in this show but that is not to say other magicians have done the magic they did in this show.

I can not recall the names of other magicians who did the same trick as the guys in this show. This documentary does not point out the beauty in magic but the malicious hatred and the hopeless ambition of synthetic wealth.

Its a miserable industry and the idea of making friends through mystical talent is an elated cover up for a more sin sinister truth.

I never thought that being a magician could be that harsh. Even in the fames of glory, with millions of dollars in banks, they still face critics and problems like we all do. They are humans. So we are. And no one makes any exception from the cruel reality of life. You gain a deeper sense of respect and appreciation for everything these persons do to not only entertain us, but to create a surreal connection between us and them.

Rather depressing but realistic look at the hardships and loneliness of performing as a professional magician made even more sad by recent revelations about Daryl Easton (not featured in the movie) who just committed suicide at the Magic Castle before a performance.

3 out of the 4 magicians show well known performers eeking out a living, with no partners except for dogs. The one performer who seems to be a success and at the end of the film gets a gig at a major Las Vegas showroom, was arrested after filming ended and is now in jail facing 30 years for child pornography.