Death Defying Acts Reviews

Extremely flimsy storyline!

I Thought I might be in for a treat with this film, seeing as Pearce and Zeta Jones are in it.But Pearce was simply awful as Houdini and Zeta Jones wasn't at all impressive as the psychic con woman.The plot was weak and unconvincing, and made for very tedious viewing.

[Highly rated reviewer]

An Unusual Film Based Around Mediumship and Fraud

I completely disagree with the previous 2 reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I've never seen another film quite like it.

Based on a true story, set in Edinburgh, Scotland, it is set in the last few months of the great escapologist and magician Harry Houdini's life. This is NOT a film focusing on his whole life story as a magician or how focusing on his magic skills (if you want to see that kind of film see The Prestige or The Illusionist).

This film is about how both a mother (a struggling psychic who is a fraud) and her 9 year old sidekick daughter see a competition advertised at the cinema offering £10,000 to anyone who can contact the dead and reveal the last words uttered by Houdini's dying mother. Houdini was a well known sceptic, however wanted to be proven wrong. The next stop on his world tour is Edinburgh, Scotland, and the mother and daughter team set out to out-con the great Houdini. Do they pull it off?Or do other distractions get in the way?

Fantastic performances from Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta Jones. However Saoirse Ronan as her 9 year old daughter steals the show. Her acting is superb.

Death defing act

The mother and daughter try their luck in making money until the mother falls in love

Death Defying Acts

I Have just viewed this DVD, and what a treat it was. I absolutely loved it. It was very well acted and i thought an excellent cast, and I was glued to the film right from the start. It is not often that I can say that about a film. This film falls into that category. I would highly recommend this film.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Death defying acts

Worth a watch.Guy Pearce is great as Hudini.

movie escapology

My advice: select eject to escape from this plodding film... This film does for Harry Houdini what David Blaine did for... well, David Blaine. Lacklustre script, plot as this as a Rizla and actors with their minds on something else (not each other). As much chemistry as two inert gases and so on... just strike it from your list.

Death defying Acts

What a waste of a good story line. The film got off to a great start and slowly, crumbled into nothingness. There was no punch to the film, very disappointed.

Excellent

I wasnt sure how good this film would be but i really got lost in this film. Guy Pearce was outstanding as usual.

nice

I truly enjoyed this film. Concidering all the production companies involved I expected a failed attempt at a art house film. It is the type of movie that you have to just relax and let it's moody and beautifully designed set take over. found it charming; lovely score, lush cinematography, subdued acting. The script was flimsy but in this case less was better. The story got told, I understood the message, I was entertained... what more do you want?I It was meant to be a story of an encounter involving someone famous that everyone knows little about... not a biography. I loved it and will buy it to play when I am ill like Yentl, Shadowlands and Sweet Charity.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Romance with no chemistry; just an icy chemical interaction

Zeta Jones and Guy Pearce perform what is supposed to be a romance and yet these two actors have absolutely no chemistry; just an icy chemical interaction. It is as they they actually do not like each other.

The story hangs together with a series of obscure jerks from one scene to another. The plot is so thin that one costantly tries to guess which way the story is supposed to go.

Timothy Spall (having seen his inspiring performance in 'Pierrepoint -The Last Hangman'), seems unsure of his role and the whole film is prevented from being a flop, in my opinion, by the excellent performance of Saoirse Ronan. Let us hope we see this young actor mature in the coming years.