FILM REVIEW: Now You See Me

Give ’em the old razzle dazzle, throw in a few magic tricks, some special effects—but just entertain us. That is what audiences want and that is what they get with the new magic-thriller Now You See Me.

Four talented magicians are brought together by an unknown benefactor to become the magical act The Four Horsemen: self-appointed lead magician Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), mentalist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), escape artist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and newbie street magician Jack Wilder (Dave Franco).

With the financial assistance of Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), The Four Horsemen perform one of their greatest tricks: robbing a bank.

This gets the attention of the authorities who are soon on their tail, led by FBI agent and magic sceptic Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent), who both work hard to try and nail The Four Horsemen.

French director Louis Leterrier brings an all-star, international cast together in an immensely entertaining film. The plot is not as straight-forward as it appears to be, with new layers emerging as often as card tricks are performed. Some moments do not add up but there is not enough time to focus on that as there are more entertaining aspects to watch.

The actors comprising The Four Horsemen all do their jobs well, drawing on previous acting performances. Eisenberg has got uptight and ego-driven nailed down, Harrelson is the king of laidback and wisecracking jokes, Fisher is dependable and charming, while Franco has a bucket load of energy.

Leterrier chose aesthetic locations, with the digital effects enhancing the magical qualities of the film.

This magical thriller will keep you guessing until the final moments and scores A++ for entertainment. As a sign of its success, a sequel has officially been announced with production beginning next year.

by Isabella Pittaway

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