Now You See Me (Louis Leterrier, 2013) Review

You can probably tell that I'm gathering up films for my Top Ten Films of 2013 by the influx of 2013 films being reviewed. I am working on the list so here's another 2013 film that seemed to have come out of nowhere, Now You See Me. This was bought on a whim since it had an intriguing concept behind it with a strong cast and though "what the hell". So how was it? Let's find out.

Four magicians (Jesse Eisenburg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco) are called together by an unknown person in order to take part in some trick assisted heists that will leave them very wealthy. When their first heist seemingly goes off without a hitch, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is called in to track the magicians down and work out how the heist was achieved with the assistance of an ex-magician (Morgan Freeman).

The thing that this film runs on is twists. There are many throughout the film (some even counter twist...yeah) which means that the film is un-predictable. It seems to pride itself on it's intelligence yet is somehow also an action film. It's a peculiar mix of genres that makes the film unique. It was a sureal experience than generally had me guessing throughout. The idea of magicians pulling off heists is the main reason that I decided to watch this film and it was a good judgment call. Having this concept with the idea of twists throughout he story works very well.

While actors such as Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg are playing their typical roles (yet still enjoyable), the acting is pretty good. Isla Fisher and Dave Franco prove to be memorable but the standout actor is Mark Ruffalo. This is his film and pis the most memorable performance in the film. It's good to see Mark Ruffalo get more appreciation after he seemed to pop out of nowhere for Avengers Assemble (a very strong start to his career, I'm sure).

Now You See Me was the surprise film of 2013 for me. It lives by its own words of "be the smartest person in the room". It is enjoyable thanks to the acting (helmed by Mark Ruffalo), clever twists and an interesting concept to begin with. I still have more 2013 films up my sleeve and if you were wondering when I was getting round to my top ten films of 2013, I do that in Feburary as that's when I did it last year (tied in with the Oscars...which is March this year...).

Verdict:
8/10
A clever film with some strong acting, an intriguing concept and good twists.