A biopic about famed magician Harry Houdini is set in 1920s Edinburgh. Houdini (Guy Pearce) comes to Edinburgh for two reasons. The first is for a performance, and the second is a $10,000 contest to find a genuine psychic. While in Scotland, he meets Benji (Saoirse Ronan), a “psychic’s sidekick”, and her mother Mary (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the psychic. Actually, Mary and Benji are con artists, in desperate need of the $10,000. The three characters form a bond, and the film follows them around Edinburgh, as Mary and Benji show Houdini what life is like outside the posh hotel he’s staying in.

 

This was a great film, and I’m looking forward to its theatrical release. Gillian Armstrong is a wonderful director with such credits as My Brilliant Career and Oscar and Lucinda. The casting was spot on, with Pearce giving such a strong performance as the famous American magician. Zeta-Jones is beautiful as always, and this role is a chance to show what a great actor she is. Ronan has a very promising career ahead of her.

 

The sets and costumes lend to the wonderful visuals of this movie. The cinematography is really good, too. I never got tired of looking at the screen. Zeta-Jones has some beautiful fabrics to wear throughout the whole picture. The hotel Houdini stays in has beautiful carpets and bedding, with huge, modern (for the times) bathrooms. A particularly striking scene occurs when Benji accidentally falls into Houdini’s stage water tank. She has a vision of a fiery haired angel. The white of the angel’s robes and wings is so bright, and the orange-red of his hair looks so brilliant. This was such a strong image.

 

I highly recommend this film, and I heard one of my instructors say it’s the best biopic of Houdini he’s ever seen. You should see it when it comes out.

 

Five trees out of 5