Sadly Over-hyped

Am I Missing Something?

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The Magician is often compared to movies such as Chopper, Leon and Man Bites Dog (Cést Arrivé près de Chez Vous). Of those three, I would say that it comes closest to Man Bites Dog. Both movies are satirical and both movies have a killer followed by a camera. Still, though there are quite a few similarities, the Magician is certainly not a rip-off.Ray Shoesmith is a hit-man from Melbourne. His friend is making a documentary about him, as a sort of memento just in case he kicks the bucket a bit too soon. We follow Ray doing what he does. There are a few story lines woven through each other, with the mayor storyline focusing on a guy Ray is supposed to kill. Things take a different turn though and what starts out as a simple job ends up to be a bit more complicated. Instead of having it's main focus on violence, The Magician is much more about dialogue. And many of those dialogues are truly hilarious. Not in a typical comedy way, but the humor is much more in the normality of conversations between friends and conversations just to kill some time. Still, despite the humor and lightheartedness of some conversations, there is always that dark undertone. For example, at one point some fast food has to be ordered, which is quite an amusing scene. But at the same time, you don't forget that one of the guys is still Ray's mark. This makes it exciting all the way. At times you would almost think of Ray as just a normal chap, but certain scenes in the movie make clear that we do deal with someone who is a cold-blooded hit-man. The contrast between those sides of Ray is always there and make him a very believable character. He's charming, at times sensitive, but also a merciless killer, and often oh so real. Ray is brilliantly portrayed by director Scott Ryan himself. The acting is perfect, his performance outstanding. Some of Ray's facial expressions are worth gold. It;s quite a while ago since a movie really had me laughing out loud. I honestly can not find anything negative to say about The Magician. I can only say that this movie is absolutely worth your time and money. If you manage to get your hands on it, watch it. If you have a good sense of humor you definitely won't regret it. Kudos, Mr Ryan!

This film is head and shoulders above many films because all of its characters are well rounded believable and interesting. Ryan's lead character is brilliant. The film balances brilliantly on a casual dread of this guy who kills people for a living, and could just as easily shoot you because you are inconvenient. Its edge of the seat viewing watching these characters interact and they are always believable, realistic and intriguing. Not one bad line, delivery or look.This movie is so well executed it could have been done by Ray the hit man, you'll never find the body.Come on Australia, this guy is a major talent. Don't let him go to waste.

"The Magician" is a quirky and darkly humorous mocumentary about the life of Melbourne-based hit-man Ray Shoestring. Followed around by his film-student friend, we see all the action through the lens of his ever-rolling camera.I find it hard to express what an achievement this film is. Scott Ryan- writer, director, producer *and* lead actor- pulls off a remarkable debut. His grizzly and hypnotic performance is frighteningly real. The depth of Ray Shoestring is a testament to the all-round skills of Scott Ryan. We can't help but feel close to Shoestring, even though we are left in no doubt about his dubious character. A large part of our sympathy with Shoestring is that, in true Big Brother diary-room style, all his thoughts, prejudices and passions are laid bare before the camera."The Magician" is unusual in that it focuses less on the joy-riding, gun-toting, blow-things-upping side to being a hit-man, and more on the less glamorous sitting-around-in-a-car-and-eating-hamburgers element of assassinhood.A stunning debut – *not* to be missed. 8/10

The Magician was brilliant. Kudos to Scott Ryan! His portrayal of the "thinking man's" hit man really drew me in and had me slapping my knee and laughing out loud throughout the movie. With a budget of AU$400,000 (miniscule by Hollywood standards), a refreshing lack of special effects, car chases, explosions and the like, the super funny dialogue and utter moral conviction of hired heavy, Ray Shoesmith, transforms this diamond in the rough into a jewel of a film.The Magician, sure to attract a cult following, hopefully provides a platform from which writer/actor/producer, Scott Ryan, can entertain and delight us with further projects.Cheers, ozgal33