Now You See Me Review

Now You See Me

Release Date: 8th August 2013 - Australia

Production Companies

Summit Entertainment (presents)

K/O Paper Products

SOIXAN7E QUIN5E

See Me Louisiana

Distribution

Hopscotch Films

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes

Budget: $75,000,000

Box Office Gross: $351,723,989 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A troupe of illusionists known as The Four Horsemen mesmerises audiences with their dazzling magic shows while pulling off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders and

showering the stolen profits

on the audience members.

FBI Special Agent Dylan is determined to make the magicians pay for what they have done and stop them before they carry out an even more daring heist. But he must work with Alma, an Interpol detective of whom he is immediately suspicious. In

desperation, he turns

to Thaddeus, a famous

debunker of magic, who

claims that the bank

robbery involved

disguises and video tricks.

One thing Dylan and

Alma can agree on is that

the Horsemen must have

someone on the outside.

The key to ending the

wizards' crime spree is

to find him (or her). But

who is this outside

person? Is it Thaddeus?

Or Alma? Or is this just

magic?

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg - J. Daniel

Atlas

Mark Ruffalo - Dylan Rhodes

Woody Harrelson - Merritt

McKinney

Isla Fisher - Henley Reeves

Dave Franco - Jack Wilder

Morgan Freeman - Thaddeus Bradley

Michael Caine - Arthur Tressler

Mélanie Laurent - Alma Dray

Michael Kelly - Agent Fuller

Common - Agent Evans

David Warshofsky - Cowan

José Garcia - Etienne Forcier

Jessica Lindsey - Hermia

Caitriona Balfe - Jasmine Tressler

Stephanie Honore - Atlas Groupie

Conan O'Brien - Himself (Cameo)

Diego Mero - Dylan (12 Years Old)

Elias Koteas - Lionel Shrike (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Louis Leterrier

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer - Boaz Yakon

Story/Screenplay - Edward Ricourt

Screenplay - Ed Solomon

Executive Producer - Michael Schaefer

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Stan Wlodkowski

Producers - Bobby Cohen,

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

Magic Inspiration - David Copperfield
Head Magic Consultant - David Kwong
Chief Mentalist and Hypnotism Consultant -

Keith Barry

Production Designer - Peter Wenham

Supervising Art Director - Thomas Valentine

Art Director - Scott Plauche

Art Director: Additional Photography -

Andrew Neskoromny

Set Decorator - Beauchamp Fontaine
Costume Designer - Jenny Egan

Directors of Photography - Mitchell Amundsen

and Larry Fong

Aerial Directors of Photography: Second Unit,

New York - Hans Bjerno and Dylan Goss

Helicopter Pilot: Second Unit, New York -

Frédéric North

Unit Production Manager: Additional

Photography - Udi Nedivi

First Assistant Director - Joe Camp III
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator

(Uncredited) - G.A. Aguilar
Additional Unit Director/Senior Visual Effects

Supervisor - Nicholas Brooks
Stunt Coordinator - Stephen A. Pope

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Rick Le Fevour

Fight Coordinator - Chuck Jeffreys
Special Effects Coordinator - Guy Clayton
Special Effects Coordinator: New York - Jeff Brink

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

Visual Effects Supervisor: Image Engine - Andrew Chapman

Visual Effects Producer - Thomas Elder-Groebe

Executive Producer: ILM - Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Image Engine -

Shawn Walsh

Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Russell Paul

Editors - Robert Leighton and

Vincent Tabaillon

Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer -

Steve Boedekker

Additional Sound Design - Will Files

Supervising Sound Editor - Jonathan Null

Re-Recording Mixer - David Parker

Foley Supervisor - Frank Rinella

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown,

Sean England and Andrea Gard

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

This film was an astonishing surprise, and I never expected it to be a decent film at the start, but then, it dazzled me with its twists and turns. NOW YOU SEE ME is a detailed portrayal of a heist plot mixed with a hybrid of magicians and trickery. The characters conduct themselves deviously in a Robin Hood robbery that complements the stylised nature of their personalities. Director Louis Leterrier creates mystery, suspense, fun and magic in a complex and twisted storyline that compels viewers from the beginning to the end. The film isn't as flawed as critics made it out to be, except for its final twist, which is the one thing I can agree with.

Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman were all professionally committed to their roles and demonstrated the acting money could buy. While the leading role could have gone to Cillian Murphy or Jim Sturgess, Eisenberg was good enough at being the lead.

I appreciate this big-budget, elaborate film with its ingenious aspects. It isn't a sci-fi-themed caper like Inception, where you go into people's dreams. It just showcases elaborate illusions and tricks. If you enjoyed this film, you also watch similar magic-themed non-heist movies, The Prestige and The Illusionist, for obvious comparisons to NOW YOU SEE ME.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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