“Now you see me”, directed by Louis
Leterrier, is truly a film that brings clarification to the category of
“Thriller” in 2013 cinema. The plot of the film follows Daniel Atlas (Jesse
Eisenberg), Merritt McKenny (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and
Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) as four magicians who are brought together to form an
illustrious group known as “The Four Horsemen”.
They find themselves meeting in one
location, led by specific and individual cards, all planned by Arthur Tressler
(Michael Caine), who owns a string of million dollar, corrupt businesses. The
four horsemen are pursued throughout the film by FBI detective; Dylan Rhodes
(Mark Ruffalo) and his inter-pole assigned assistant, Alma Dray (Melanie
Laurent). Together, the duo are attempting to arrest the group on charges of
bank robberies. We are briefly taken through the magician’s lifestyles,
personalities and abilities individually to see how the four are connected and
come together to prosper and develop as a team to leave their global audiences
in awe.
From beginning to end, the film provides
constant elements of Enigma coding, typical of the thriller genre. This makes
the audience question themselves about what is actually going on and what is
going to happen next, like any real thriller should. The character of Thaddeus
Bradly (Morgan Freeman) and Alma Dray, only add to the mysterious element of
the film as they are constantly raising questions about what their agendas are
and what side they are actually on. New twists and turns are prominent
throughout the entire film that make the audience feel much like the FBI, that
when they believe they are one step ahead, they are actually “one, three, even
seven steps behind”.
Unlike many other films released this year,
“Now you see me” was remarkable as the entire film had you constantly thinking,
paying close attention to detail and attempting to work in the minds of the
detectives instead of physically having you at the edge of your seat. Much like
magic, this is a story you simply have to “believe” at first to understand
everything when the film comes full circle, this really created an emotional
bond between the audience and the screen.
The cinematography of the film was just
another attribute that complimented a dynamically written, well directed and
composed film overall. From the camera angles chosen, to the editing and
special effects that brought the magic to life, these only enhanced the
experience of watching a movie solely about magic. Everything was put in place
to tell the story excellently and as a result each frame was as well composed
and fitting as the scene prior. It is very clear that Louis Leterrier, paid
extremely close attention to both detail and composition; he truly was the
“magic eye” behind the film.
Overall, I would give the film 4.7/5 stars
for its very complex script that was portrayed through simplistic clues, loop
holes and cliff hangers throughout the two hours. “Now You See Me” is also
deserving of such a high rating because many of the films I have watched this
year physically had me on the edge of my seat through sheer action and
explosions, this film however demanded my full attention and focus because of
the concept alone, not to mention how the narrative was played out through
various techniques while following the generic conventions of a thriller. To
achieve 5/5 stars, I believe the film needed a more extended action packed
scene, that was able to pull the audience to the edge of their seats, had it
done this, “Now you see me” would have achieved the highest rating.
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