Movie Review: Now You See Me [2013]

The closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see.

Now You See Me has been one of my most anticipated movies of 2013, because the trailer really sold an interesting story and great cast. Movie is about four magicians, called Four Horsemen, who robbed a bank during their performance in Vegas and rewarded the audience with millions of dollars. The whole idea of robbery was to bring a random man from audience to any bank s/he wanted and they'd get money from there. So, all this crime was happening live, watched by hundreds of people.

FBI starts investigation. But there is nothing to investigate, because if they do, this means they believe that it's possible to transfer a person from Las Vegas to Paris in less than three seconds. Four Horsemen are released from police office shortly after interrogations.

According to legend, four horsemen are people who are chosen  once in two centuries by a secret organization called The Eye. They aim to protect real magic. Chosen four are: J. Daniels Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). Each of them have different magic talent, but they make a really good team. In the beginning of movie, some guy (probably Fifth Horseman) is secretly giving them invitation for meeting and when they meet, they get an assignment to make a biggest magic show ever done.

Now You See Me looks unbelievable. It starts to amaze from the very first minutes of magic. In the first scene J. Daniels shows the audience a deck of cards and asks to pick any random, without saying it loud. Right after this, he points to the building and then you see your card on it.

I believe this is quite easy focus, but still it is enough to make you totally get into movie. However, the more you watch the film, the more amazing every show seems. They are stunning, well thought, surprising and very massive.

The cast is brilliant. Except the four horsemen, you can find  here Mark Ruffalo as a cop, Morgan Freeman as a retired magician who tries to uncover other magician's tricks, Michael Caine as a billionaire financing Four Horsemen's shows and Michael Kelly as an police officer. But without appealing on big names, I'd say each performance is perfect for the movie. Jesse Eisenberg totally nails it. His two minutes monologue in interrogation room is a great example of combining emotions, self-confidence and just a very sincere acting. Freeman as always is very professional as a supporting cast member. I have to say that I did not expect such a pleasant performances from Dave Franco and Isla Fisher.

Story is quite catchy and interesting. I loved the general story line, all twists and the ending. Dialogues are well thought, smart and refreshing. They are easy ones, not hard to understand and never get boring. The lines where magicians talk are really magic, especially those at Four Horsemen shows.

Except that, Now You See Me is technically well done. Visuals and lights totally work to better "imagine" everything. Magician shows are well directed, amazing and they feel sorta realistic. If you start to watch this movie, get used to the fact that you don't understand most of things, but there will come time, when they explain what was done, by whom, how it was done and when it was done, because all these matter for the final trick. And final trick will amaze you.

If we discuss this movie in terms of reality, some of its parts are not possible to do in real life. There also are minor questions that are not answered, especially regarding the robbery of French bank. Real life magicians would not do the things this quartet does, but for me it is not a point. You know, Now You See Me entertains a lot, from the beginner to the end, sometimes it surprises and really makes you want to see the final trick.

So, I consider it to be very enjoyable but one time watch movie. Because second time you know everything and it does not bring that much pleasure. I am totally satisfied the way I've spent two hours and 5 minutes.