Review of Magicians (2000) by Benedick L — 24 Jul 2008

This film has quite a few writers attached to it (I think about 6-8 initially) and there lies the problem. It is a confused mess. A failed UK version of The Prestige if you will. Two magicians, best friends since they were kids, fall out over a woman who is married to one (Mitchell), has an affair with the other one (Webb) and gets decapitated by the married one, by accident.

4 years later they enter a magic competition and well, it's predictable, they fight then make up. With Peep show writers at the helm of this script this could have been a whole lot better. The making of says they didn't write the film for Mitchell & Webb but I don't believe that for a second.

Comedic sequences are far too long (especially the Mitchell misunderstanding of flying to London to get his assistant back) and by the end (thank god it is under an hour and half) you really don't care for the outcome.

Sorry guys, peep show, generally, is great. This film, not.