Now You See Me Review

Director: Louis Leterrier

Writers: Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Michael Kelly, Common

Synopsis: Four trained illusionists perform three big performances wherein they pull off heists. With its illegality they are instantly tracked by the FBI but due to their trained trickery they are harder to catch than the FBI had imagined.

You may think there is a limit to a magician’s abilities, yet seeing those limits shrugged to one side by those performers consistently interests us. Now You See Me doesn’t so much shrug but shoo away most levels of believability when showing illusionists eliminating limitations. It’s ridiculous at points, levelled out by its core theme – magic – that parades it as just a fun ride.

With its tongue firmly in its cheek, the magic/heist thriller is not the psychological sleeper hit like The Prestige or even The Illusionist but lighthearted and, at points, very entertaining. Combining two subjects tricky to depict without garnering sighs or snickers from the audience, Now You See Me manages to mesh together the magician and heist sub-genres with glossy finesse. There are clichés and stumbling blocks in the script but for the most part it's a savvy screenplay brought to life by an excellent cast.

Bar Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Common you have some heavy weights making up the ensemble - Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson to older screen legends such as Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Not all give their best performances and actors like Eisenberg and Harrelson seem stuck on autopilot for parts not wonderfully written. With so many in the cast, however, you're always able to find a handful of fascinating faces.

Joining the ranks of the familiar Hollywood bunch is French actress Mélanie Laurent (best known for Inglorious Basterds) whose beauty lights up the screen, whilst also adding a mysterious foreign allure to the proceedings. Laurent being the only love interest in the film (with Fisher’s character relatively wooden for such a part) becomes quite a central figure, alongside Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo may not be the top billed name on the poster but this is unquestionably his film – and rightly so. Ruffalo has been consistently great in the majority of his films (even ghost rom-com Just Like Heaven is an interest watch with him in the lead), commonly strapped with the supporting role. Here he pilots the film more or less; the magicians are leading the chase yet it’s Ruffalo’s agent Rhodes that we predominantly follow, hot on the Four Horsemen’s heels. He’s surrounded by deception, attempting to stay on top of matters whilst stumbling over red herrings, a plot device that could be decimated by a lesser actor, but not by the Zodiac and Avengers Assemble star.

With the large cast the film meanders from time to time, but for some characters the parts are well written (Ruffalo, Caine, Freeman and Laurent) and the plot-line thrilling. Following so many players has its pros and cons yet the interesting pro is on another viewing you’ll notice something different or watch events in another light. It’s a clever aspect of the film, and the marketing whereby Now You See Me could achieve a second life on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD.

***
Also posted on LiveForFilms

Top 10 Interesting Male Voices in Cinema

Perhaps when flicking through channels it’s not so much a sight but a sound that grabs your attention; many times with actors such as the ones below you are attentive largely due to that voice. Here are ten of the most recognisable and interesting male voices in cinema:

10. Jeremy Irons – With a defining set of elocution skills and a gravelly voice, Irons blurs the idea of the seducer, the villain, and the intellect all with his lithe voice-box. 

9. James Earl Jones – Voicing two of the most iconic father-figures in cinema (spoiler alert), Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, Jones will always be remembered in cinema for lending his vocals to two hugely successful family films.

8. Sam Elliot – Maybe he chewed on coal through his teenage life, maybe his Adam’s apple was moulded in clay, but whatever happened to Sam Elliot’s voice it has worked wonders for the actor. Most famous for his part in The Big Lebowski as The Stranger, Elliot has a voice that you could listen to all day. He narrates parts of Lewbowski and one would wish he could narrate nearly every film.

7. Michael Caine – Wonderfully dissected by Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan on The Trip, the varying tones and tempos of Caine’s voice has, throughout the years, brought more class and worth to his career. One of Britain’s most celebrated actors and a shining national treasure – a legacy certainly aided by the familiar delivery of lines such as “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger – One of the most parodied and imitated voices in cinematic history, Arnie’s muscles weren’t the only thing that brought him to the attention of millions. Getting few lines in the classic Terminator, one made him the legend he is today – “I’ll be back” – spoken with intensity and malice, cementing his popularity.

5. Werner Herzog – Another Eastern European on the list that is arguably less well-known (though his role in the new Jack Reacher film may change that) but with one a hell of an intriguing voice. Never easy to impersonate but one you wish you could. Herzog’s wondrous, curious mind is perfectly matched by a voice that alters with every question and philosophy he adds to his documentaries’ narration.

4. Patrick Stewart – Admired by so many people, and enamoured by Seth McFarlane so much that Stewart has offered his voice-work for many episodes of Family Guy and American Dad, Stewart is another British legend that can raise the roof on a theatre, invigorate an entire cinema audience and entertain everyone around the TV by the power of his voice.

3. Jimmy Stewart – The affable, charming and funny actor of Hollywood’s Golden Years could strike a chord with his smile and his jovial voice. The voice captures your attention; nuances of the stammers and drawl immortalise the personality of Stewart.

2. Morgan Freeman – A man with the ability to read the phone book and still keep you fascinated and emotional with every entry read out. Morgan Freeman has the perfect voice and it’s no wonder that he is asked to narrate an array of films and documentaries – you want to hear the man wax lyrical for hours on end.

1. Christopher Walken – The man with the most insane and entertaining voice around. The wacky, altering patterns in Walken’s dialogue cannot be found with any other actor. He appears menacing and confused all at the same time – his voice appears just as discomforting but nothing you cannot turn your attention away from.

Notable mentions: Jeff Bridges, Jeff Goldblum, Seth McFarlane, Ian McKellen, John Wayne, Tom Hanks, Patrick Warbuton, William Shatner, Jack Nicholson, Tommy Lee Jones, Willem Dafoe, Alan Rickman, Peter O'Toole

By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on Top10Films