Quicker Than the Eye (1988) User Reviews

Slow Paced, But Fun Thriller

[tarbosh22000 · 6/10 · 30 July 2005]

"Quicker Than The Eye" is a slow paced mystery. Ben Gazzara stars as a down on his luck magician. When he is sent to a foreign country, he is framed for murder.

Does he have enough tricks up his sleeve to clear his name?

Ben Gazzara is very low-key in this. The plot doesn't go anywhere until the last 40 minutes, but the climax is fun though. The worst part of the movie was the ending because it comes out of nowhere.

In the end: It's an okay thriller, but not worth seeking out. "Killing Of A Chinese Bookie" "Road House", or "Pursuit" are better Gazzara films.

For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

The title could describe this film's release history.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 17 February 2023]

A film that apparently had a brief European release in selective markets and probably went straight to video in the united states, this is actually pretty good for the type of movie it is although I didn't think that Ben Gazzara and Mary Crosby had nuch chemistry as an international team of famous musicians, traveling around the world, and ending up as part of the investigation into a series of brutal murders of political figures. For me, Gazzara was way hotter with the sultry Catherine Jarret who gets them involved in the investigation after assassinations that take place during their show.

While the cast indicates the reason why this did not get a major big screen release, it's not the type of film that could have played on network television, more for the pay channels of the time. It's filled with action and beautiful location scenery, up there with the popular nighttime soaps of the time although the focus is on intrigue, not on romance. The montage at the beginning of Gazzara's magic act is fascinating, and as the plot builds, the film becomes equally as thrilling. But it's pretty moderate, unremarkable because the leads aren't exactly superstars (although Gazzara had more success on stage and screen), but fascinating because even though it lacks the star power of the late '80s, it's not the type of plot line that will make the viewer want to turn out before all is revealed.

Switzerland, country of peace conferences

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 24 February 2023]

A professional magician tours Europe in the company of his pretty assistant/girlfriend, who has helped him develop an act that's a copper-bottomed success. They both look forward to performing in one of the most prestigious hotels of Switzerland, as part of a festive entertainment honoring two foreign heads of state. Little do they know that their presence at the event has been carefully engineered by a gang of cold-blooded assassins...

The plot of "Quicker than the eye" deals with a magician who gets caught in a cruel trap and needs to use his skills in order to survive. It's pleasantly watchable escapist entertainment, probably best described as a mix of thriller, action/adventure and comedy. The story, which is told in a linear fashion, is quite intelligible. The locations are beautiful and there are a number of jokes and tongue-in-cheek moments to enjoy, such as the sight of two fearsome heads of state enjoying a programme of folk dancing and alphorn playing. (According to many specialists in international law, blowing an alphorn anywhere near a foreign head of state constitutes a casus belli.)

One of the characters, who manages a hotel, tries to deflect the attentions of the press by offering the assembled newshounds drinks "on the house". Anyone even slightly familiar with the workings of our free press could have told her that it would have been cheaper just to reach into the cash register and throw all the bills in the air.

Sadly the movie also has its weaknesses. One gets the impression that the actors hail from a wide range of nations, cultures and language groups ; more arrestingly, one also gets the impression that they represent a wide range of acting styles and role approaches. It results in a slippery "Tower of Babel" feel which undermines the artistic unity of the whole.

You'll notice that our male magician, who has been sleeping with his assistant since eight years, grows less than enthusiastic every time she mentions marriage or settling down. Meanwhile he is not averse to casual affairs whenever attractive strangers cross his path. Women and girls, never share your life with such a man : he'll string you along until you're forty, causing you to waste your youth and your fertility, before absconding to some far-distant city. No forwarding address will be forthcoming. (The movie, of course, ties up this particular storyline with a nice, shiny bow. That's why we call it "the movies", as distinct from real life.)

If you like "Quicker than the eye" you may want to take a look at "F/X" (1986), with Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. In "F/X" an unsuspecting special effects man gets manipulated by cunning criminals.

European clunker

[lor_ · 17 April 2023]

My review was written in July 1989 after watching the movie on Academy video cassette.

"Quicker Than the Eye" is a modest Swissmade programmer headed shortly for the U. S. video market. It plays like an elongated tv episode.

Ben Gazzara is a bit uncomfortable in the lead role of a semi-successful magician touring Europe with his whiny ("Let's get married") assistant Mary Crosby. Nasties, led by Ivan Desny, plot to use him as the dupe to kill an African leader attending a summit conference in Locarno, with the blame to fall on Gazzara.

The hitmen fail to complete their mission, with Gazzara escaping rather than being murdered. With the aid of Crosby and other beautiful women he adapts his long-in-the-works super magic trick to outwit and catch the baddies.

Pic is well lensed on lovely locations but fails to generate suspense. Gazzara's magic feats are perfunctory, and little interest is generated by the cornball romantic rivalry between Crosby and their employer (Catherine Jarrett) for Gazzara's boudoir attentions.

Tech credits are good, including English dubbing of support roles supervised by Robert Rietty.