With a tag-line like "Love is inescapable," you know you're in for a bit of cheese. What promises to be a Houdini movie never seems to quite get there. And don't hold your breath too long waiting for any crafty escapes. Unlike its magical predecessors of late, this movie evades its title, and sticks to its dubious love story. Guy Pearce delivers and interesting haunted Houdini while Catherine Zeta-Jones parades her stunning good looks, swapping her native Welsh accent with an awkward Scottish tongue. The most intriguing character of the bunch is aspiring psychic Benji, played by Saoirse Ronan, who delivers as much of great performance as in Atonement, and again, offers probably the only aspect of this movie which doesn't render you somewhat drowsy and bored. With little to offer in terms of its score (unlike The Illusionist, scored by Philip Glass), this man-behind-the-magician tale is largely uninspired, and like many screened love stories of late, seems awkward and altogether unconvincing. This period chick-flick masquerades as the next Prestige, but unfortunately this sleight of hand just doesn't get you.
Score: 2 bunny rabbits in the hat out of 5.
Gillian Armstrong directed the trick, Tony Grisoni & Brian Ward designed the trick and Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Saoirse Ronan and Timothy Spall delivered the trick.
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