MOVIE REVIEW: Now You See Me [@NYSMmovie]

Now You See Me
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.

By: Nevra Azerkan

Rating:

[The Breakdown]

I first saw the trailer (and posted about it!) back in December and even then I was really excited to see it. Time flew by and by the end of May the wait was finally over and let me tell you, it was SO worth it.

Now You See Me begins with four magicians: J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) known as the showman, Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) the mentalist, Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) the sleight of hand, and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) as the escape artist. All of them receive an invitation to partake in a mysterious quest. A year later they are in Vegas performing as The Four Horsemen to a sold-out show funded by billionaire, Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine). During the performance they seemingly rob a bank in Paris. Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) of the FBI and Agent Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent) from Interpol are called in to investigate. They ask notorious magic debunker, Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) for help, but he appears to have his own agenda. The Four Horsemen pull off three impossible heists and everyone is left wondering whether it is all an illusion or if it could really be magic.

Now You See Me truly lives up to all the hype surrounding it. The magic, the con, the cast, the soundtrack, the cinematography, down to the wardrobe, this movie is a hit. By no means am I an expert in magic, but I can say the magic portrayed in the film was captivating. They turned basic tricks into full-blown performances that had your eyes widening at every chance. The con itself was genius and not entirely predictable. The cast was superb; the perfect mix of young and veteran actors and they all played their parts spectacularly well. A big award goes to Brian Tyler, the composer of the soundtrack. Each track captured the feel of the scenes flawlessly.  The cinematography is amazing and every shot was picture-perfect. The wardrobe was fitting for each character and you can tell just by looking at the movie poster. All around this film is hands down my favorite of the summer so far.

If you aren’t hooked by the first five minutes of the film then something is wrong with you. This is the type of movie that appeals to everyone. Trust me, I dragged two people who weren’t interested in seeing it and they left the theater raving about it. Only after you watch it will you really understand J. Daniel Atlas when he says, “The closer you look, the less you see.”