This movie manages to cruelly belittle nearly every cliché it observes - a host of Gary Colemanesque has-beens, including Gary Coleman; the chitlin circuit and its yokel boosters; bimbo TV personalities; indifferent agents; callous journalists: yawn. The one hackneyed element this movie fails to casually insult is its own writing and directing, both of which consistently miss the opportunities in their premise, and both of which are the responsibility of a single incompetent.
I suggest Sean McGinly think very hard about pots and kettles before the next time he makes fun of a hack. The running gags are unfunny the first time. The romance is so uninspired that I felt embarrassed for the actors. The plot is so predictable that I might as well not have watched this film at all, but any number of bittersweet lovable-loser romps in the ROCKY meets JUNIOR BONNER vein instead.
The underwhelming presence of Colin Hanks does nothing to aid this centerless jelly of a story, but I suspect he would be capable of more with a little help from a real director. Not a moment of this film is supported by anyone behind the camera except Tak Fujimoto, who is a very good photographer. But pictures of Sean McGinly's stool, no matter how well-lighted, are just gonna be pictures of crap.
The actors, those capable of working without aid of good writing or any sort of directing, are fine. John Malkovich hasn't needed a director since he found his way onto his first set. Steve Zahn could do this part in his sleep, and has the work ethic not to. Emily Blunt uses the time to perfect her American accent. And Griffin Dunne is always welcome in my DVD player.
But a movie about a magician, with Ricky Jay in it, in which Ricky Jay performs no trick other than keeping a straight face, is a movie that should never, ever be made.
I suggest Sean McGinly think very hard about pots and kettles before the next time he makes fun of a hack. The running gags are unfunny the first time. The romance is so uninspired that I felt embarrassed for the actors. The plot is so predictable that I might as well not have watched this film at all, but any number of bittersweet lovable-loser romps in the ROCKY meets JUNIOR BONNER vein instead.
The underwhelming presence of Colin Hanks does nothing to aid this centerless jelly of a story, but I suspect he would be capable of more with a little help from a real director. Not a moment of this film is supported by anyone behind the camera except Tak Fujimoto, who is a very good photographer. But pictures of Sean McGinly's stool, no matter how well-lighted, are just gonna be pictures of crap.
The actors, those capable of working without aid of good writing or any sort of directing, are fine. John Malkovich hasn't needed a director since he found his way onto his first set. Steve Zahn could do this part in his sleep, and has the work ethic not to. Emily Blunt uses the time to perfect her American accent. And Griffin Dunne is always welcome in my DVD player.
But a movie about a magician, with Ricky Jay in it, in which Ricky Jay performs no trick other than keeping a straight face, is a movie that should never, ever be made.