Magicians

Director: Andrew O'Connor

Starring: David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Jessica Hynes

There has been a stream of movies revolving around magic lately. Of course there's the obvious fantasy stuff of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but what I am really on about is movies revolving around stage magicians. First we had the simply amazing The Prestige, next came The Illusionist and now we have Magicians. There’s definitely something about magic at the moment, and this film certainly rises to the occasion, though with an altogether different tact. You see Magicians is not a period piece like the last two, and this movie in all honesty couldn't give a damn about magic. Instead, in true British style, it’s a cracking comedy, certainly putting on a top notch show.

Harry (David Mitchell) and Karl (Robert Webb) are two of the best magicians in the business, with Harry's wife as their assistant. One day, during a show, all is going well. Harry sets off to see their manager when his wife tells him that she and Karl need to have a talk with him. Harry then makes arrangements for a set of shows on a cruise liner. He returns to the stage only to find his wife in a box on a table. She tells Harry not to open the box, but he does anyway and finds Karl and her naked, having sex. Karl tries to explain the situation to Harry, who simply shuns him away and tells them both that they should pretend that this never happened for the next hour of their show. The show resumes with a guillotine trick. Harry's wife is locked into the guillotine, only for the blade to cut her head off, leaving everyone in shock.

Magicians is the first movie outing for David Mitchell and Robert Webb, stars of cult TV Show Peep Show, and they really make this movie a winner! The comedy rate is high from opening act to the grand finale, but the comedy really sparks when Mitchell and Webb are on screen together. The pair are extremely talented comedians, and any scene they share together is a true blessing as they have some hilarious sequences.

Darren Bastyan