The magic of cinema and the magic of magic tend to cancel each other out. Once you convince someone they're seeing alternate realities, alien conquerers, and distant futures, pulling a rabbit out of a hat looks a little underwhelming. It is a cruel, sad truth that a single cut negates all the impact of the greatest act of sleight of hand.
So, a movie about magic needs to be about more than just magic. The silly but not entirely unpleasurable 'Now You See Me' is about showmanship. There are a lot of good actors in this movie, including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Melanie Laurent, and Mark Ruffalo. They play illusionists, mentalists, hucksters, debunkers, billionaire industrialists, Interpol officers, and FBI agents, respectively(ish). All of them, no matter whether they're wool-pullers or wool-pullees, look like they're having a grand old time misdirecting us through a labyrinthine plot involving magicians, bank heists, and decades-old vendettas. For a while, the fun is infectious. I found myself chuckling at the outrageous character names -- Dylan Rhodes! Jack Wilder! Arthur Tressler! Thaddeus Bradley! J. Daniel Atlas! -- and grinning at the ludicrous twists. Like a mark at a good magic act, I knew I was being worked over and was enjoying every second.
'Now You See Me' is arriving in the middle of one of the busiest summer movie seasons in ages, but if the film's opening scene is any indication, it looks like it'll be worth seeing in between screenings of 'Fast and Furious 6' and 'Man of Steel.' The first few minutes of the film have arrived online and we sure hope the rest of the movie is this much fun.
"The Four Horsemen," a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists, pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
The heist film 'Now You See Me' has unveiled a brand-new poster and a few images to remind you that this film about illusionist bank robbers exists, in case you'd already forgotten. Or maybe that was part of the master plan all along...?
The trailer for 'Now You See Me' seems to suggest one crazy-ass movie. With a large and awesome ensemble cast, and a plot that seems to revolve around magicians who break into a break in Paris (while still in Vegas) only to give that money away... this could be awesome or terrible or terribly awesome or awesomely terrible. Hard to say.
You'd think that a film starring a recent Academy Award winner (Melissa Leo), one of the best young actors of his generation (Jesse Eisenberg), the biggest comic on television (Tracy Morgan) and a celebrated actor from on of TV's best serials ('The Wire''s Isiah Whitlock) would be a lock. But the alleged comedy 'Why Stop Now' is here to prove that when a movie tries really, really hard to be awful it can overcome the obstacle of having a terrific ensemble cast.
Kelly Reichardt may not be a household name, but she's on a role when it comes to pleasing critics and indie film lovers. Since 2006, she's completed three increasingly beloved and divisive films, which means that she is officially on a streak. Can her next project, titled 'Night Moves,' start passionate conversations in the same way that 'Old Joy,' 'Wendy and Lucy' and 'Meek's Cutoff' did? Probably...and it'll have a great cast, too.
IFC Films has released the first trailer for 'Why Stop Now,' the indie comedy the company acquired after its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Melissa Leo.
Most fans know that Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin has a habit of bringing in alumni from his previous work as good luck charms for his next, be it Martin Sheen, Josh Malina or Bradley Whitford, but when HBO debuts Sorkin's latest drama with 'The Newsroom,' which actor from his past will receive the honor?
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