Strong and Moving!

Expected more

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Magic is directed by Richard Attenborough, has a screenplay by William Goldman based on his novel and stars Anthony Hopkins, Burgess Meredith and Ann-Margaret.Anthony Hopkins gives one of the greatest performances of his career as the troubled ventriloquist who descends deeper and deeper into madness. Hopkins actually learnt ventriloquism for this role and is very good at it.Corky(Anthony Hopkins)is a struggling magician who hits the big time when he creates an act with a dummy called Fats. The act makes Corky a star but soon Fats is taking over Corky's life and he loses his grip on reality. It's a chilling film and that dummy sure is freaky.Burgess Meredith is superb as Corky's agent Ben Greene. Meredith is especially brilliant in a scene where he walks in on Corky having an argument with Fats as if he were real. He asks Corky to go five minutes without speaking as Fats, it's a tense and painful scene to watch. You can see how concerned Greene is for Corky's mental health and also how freaked out he is by the things Fats says. Hopkins excels in that scene as it becomes more and more obvious that he most likely will not be able to last the five minutes.Ann- Margaret is very good as Peggy the love of Corky's life. Fans of the TV series MASH will be delighted to see David Ogden Stiers appear as a man from a TV network who Greene asks to watch Corky's act.Magic is a great horror film from Richard Attenborough. Hopkins makes Corky a very pitiable character who becomes trapped in the nightmare that is his own mind.

I went into this one with high hopes but came out the other side feeling this one had a bit of missed chance vibe about it. I mean, you've got Anthony Hopkins being a demented magician type with a dummy who may or may not be sentient. Then again, this is directed by Richard Attenborough, and although we lament that man's passing, director wise he's not exactly Mr Crash Bang Wallop. So Magic, like a lot of his films, is paced at Richard Athenaburgle's usual pace. They should have went for an all out Chucky style meltdown, bu#=-00099 (you know, I'm trying to type this in the dark - I have a budgie that's fifteen years old, right, so i've got to put her to sleep ad#=## and then try and type all this crap out in the dark 0 it doesn't work).Magic - isn't that great. I waited years to watch it and now I know why. Hopkins and Man Argaret are great but the whole story could have used a bit more jazz- I mean, this was the year of Carpenter's Halloween....

Magic is a film about a man who had a psychological problem, he had double personality disorder, and he lived out his second persona through a ventriloquist's dummy named Fats. The whole movie boils down to one character and that is Corky (Anthony Hopkins), it was important that he made his portrayal strong, because the whole movie is about him and him alone and how he was finding it hard to live his life without his Dummy Fats.The part in the movie that was really stood out for me was the scene where Corky and Ben sat face to face, and Ben asked Corky to sit 5 minutes and not let Fats speak a word at all, the whole 2 minutes it lasted was just intense, with you thinking, "Is he going to break?" "When is he going to break?"Magic is a clever movie one that we should all seewww.lagsreviews.com

Richard Attenborough's Magic (1978) is an exceptional work of cinema that has so much to offer to the viewer at different levels. It features Anthony Hopkins in the role of a shy ventriloquist named Corky Withers. Corky's act in which he uses a dummy to perform on-stage magic tricks is an instant success. Corky is at height of his fame and probably a single step away from becoming an icon. But, things are not as simple as they appear. Believe it or not, but Corky's dummy Fats has developed a mind of its own! And Corky must learn to control it before it's too late. Anthony Hopkins, I daresay, delivers the best performance of his life. The role of Hannibal Lecter may have elevated Hopkins to apotheosis but Corky has a sense of vulnerability that makes it appear far more realistic than Lecter. A comparison between Lecter and Corky is inevitable for both the characters lie on the brink of insanity... while the former can control it to a great extent the latter is always at the mercy of his vicious alterego. Magic (1978) is a psychological thriller of the highest quality. And Hopkins' sublime portrayal makes it an experience of a lifetime. Ann-Margret is brilliant in the role of Peggy Ann Snow. Burgess Meredith as Ben Greene virtually steals every scene that he is a part of.Magic (1978) is indeed magical. And the dream-like combination of two great Englishmen, Richard Attenborough and Anthony Hopkins, makes it possible. A necessary watch!http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/