Now You See Me
Written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin
Directed by Louis Leterrier
U.S.A./France, 2013
The term ‘movie magic’ has, alas, lost much of its once proud luster. Film savvy folks can now read in-depth articles, watch online interviews with filmmakers and dive into the ogles of behind-the-scenes content available on home media formats that reveal the tricks of the trade in impressive detail. Then there is magic itself, that form of entertainment and distraction in which artists amuse, thrill and befuddle spectators before their very eyes with acts that defy logic and physics. Magic continues to spark the imagination of crowds, something movies once accomplished with far greater ease than in recent years. Can the subject of magic therefore provide some much needed shine to one of the summer’s many blockbusters, the Louis Leterrier directed Now You See Me?
Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merrit McKinney (Woody Harrelson) have each specialized in a form of trickery: slight of hand, illusions, escapes and mind control, or hypnosis. Although experiencing vastly different levels of professional success, they have all retained the interest of a mysterious figure wearing a hoodie who leaves them with an invitation card. The movie conveniently forwards a year later when the group, now calling themselves the Four Horsemen, are staggeringly successful Las Vegas attraction. Their latest performance, in which they have apparently stolen millions of Euros from a bank in Paris, has caught the attention of the FBI and Interpol, who send in agents Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) on the case. Fighting magic with old detective work proves difficult so in comes former magician and crafty debunker Thaddeus Braddley (Morgan Freeman). But who is in fact playing who?
In more ways than one, Louis Leterrier’s Now You See Me is very much Iike an elaborate magic show. It possesses all the requisite glitz and glamour that the best in the business can offer, certainly entertains as its many twists, turns and action beats distract the audience, but once the performers begin to reveal the secrets of their trade, then the sense of wonderment begins to slowly wear off to the extent that some might even leave the theatre quite disappointed with the results. The character of Daniel Atlas espouses at one point that that trick about magic is to always be the smartest person in the room. Snarky, condescending remarks are to be avoided as much as possible, but suffice to say that just maybe the director and the screenwriters had convinced themselves they had a cleverer story on hand than is actually the case.
Problems aside for a moment, there are many reasons why the film is an enjoyable romp for the most part, not the least of which because the story pits FBI investigators, people who are supposed to be pretty smart and clever, against supremely smart and clever people: magicians! How does one proceed to locate and arrest individuals who perform seemingly unexplainable acts of escape and vandalism when oneself is limited to logic and cold hard facts attained via meticulous investigative methods? That is a premise anyone looking for a snazzy, lighthearted and mostly clever ride can on board with. It is fairly amusing to see what law enforcement must do in order to ensnare culprits of serious theft when said perpetrators are masters in the art of deception and illusion, not just behind the scenes as most brilliant criminals would be, but right before their very eyes. The trick (so to speak) director Leterrier was forced to reckon with was filming and editing feats that displayed the incredible nature of magic without them looking too much like regular big budget movie set pieces, destroying the sense of pure illusion. When watching a magic show, there are no edits, the audiences eyes are riveted onto the artists every movement. In film, notwithstanding tracking shots, there are always edits, be they rapid or judiciously chosen. It should be said that there are indeed moments of awe when the Four Horsemen are sleekly executing their cons. Others still fit the mould of movie set pieces, but at least they look good. A scene in which Dylan chases after Jack Wilder in a Manhattan apartment that meshes fisticuffs and slight of hand spectacularly, making it one of the best action scenes of the year, hands down.
Now You See Me is not without its share of problems, some of which prove to be considerable detriments to the overall quality of the film. As for the non-spoiler material, an easy criticism to aim at the picture is that all four magicians quickly become secondary characters to the FBI and Interpol officers played by Mark Ruffalo and Laurent. Leterrier gives the foursome a few comical scenes at the beginning in order to set them up, but no more than to make them out as caricatures instead of real people. It soon becomes obvious that the story will concern itself mostly with the investigation instead of the magicians, that is all they remain, mere caricatures (Dave Franco is given nothing to do nut smirk). When the movie begins to share some information as to what the Horsemen’s end game is, it comes out of left field because the movie has tossed the group to the sidelines for so long (and proves the early flash-forward tactic was basically to withhold information from the audience). Another problem is the lack of charisma between Ruffalo and Laurent. It is a disappointing scenario where the people behind the film thought it would be a great idea to have two really good actors in the same movie, sharing most of their scenes together, which in theory is indeed a good idea. Laurent, a proven talent, is mostly a bore and Ruffalo, more comfortable given that the film is in English, is serviceable but nothing more. Worse still, the script forces a love angle which never feels genuine. There are other, more egregious errors that put the credulity of many scenes in serious doubt but elaborating on them would involve revealing too much of the story.
‘Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve’ ends up being the phrase that springs to mind when assessing Now You See Me after all the magic dust has settled. Yes, it is mostly fun while it is happening, yet there are some odd errors in judgment that, with some better planning, ‘should’ve, could’ve, would’ve’ been avoided. Above all else, the filmmakers should have retained the number one lesson: a magician never reveals his or her secrets.
-Edgar Chaput