17.6 C
Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Now You See Me

Latest News

Resilient Lismore’s ‘Repair to Return’ funding

On the eve of the second anniversary of the second devastating flood in 2022, Resilient Lismore has welcomed the finalisation of its funding deed with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which will enable the continuation of its ‘Repair to Return’ program.

Other News

Way of the dog

One of the more disappointing aspects of the decline of Byron Bay, and I have a long list, is...

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Floodplains

We need a serious talk about development on floodplains with more creativity and sophistication. The recent discussion about development...

Lismore Labor MP called out over native forest logging

More than five hundred people marched in the rain through Lismore to the local state member’s office in protest against government sanctioned native forest logging on Sunday.

UK court seeks assurances from US over Julian Assange

The UK High Court of Justice has released a 66 page judgement seeking more information from the United States relating to Australian citizen Julian Assange, which it says it needs before deciding whether to grant the WikiLeaks founder leave to appeal his extradition.

Zoom meeting

Just to clarify the report that Michael Lyon now declares ‘no’ to developing Ann St and New City Road....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8MHDYZJWLXA

First impressions count for so much.

This brain-strain heist flick opens with a trick of disarming cleverness. One of the magicians of the Four Horsemen, Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), offers ‘pick a card’ to an onlooker (and, inescapably, to you in the darkened cinema). He performs a sleight of hand then correctly nominates the one card out of fifty-two that his subject (and you!) selected.

I am baffled as to what psychological devilment was involved, and my companion (who had chosen the same card) was equally astounded. From that minute we were riveted. Atlas’s three cohorts are Merritt (Woody Harrelson), Henley (Isla Fisher) and Jack (Dave Franco), each of them a magician with a different field of expertise.

They gain renown but step outside the law when they apparently teleport a volunteer from Las Vegas to Paris, where he robs a bank of millions. Enter the old stagers – Tressler (Michael Caine), plutocrat mentor, and Bradley (Morgan Freeman), an ancient myth-buster with teeth whiter than Warnie’s.

There is obviously a highly sophisticated and very complex scam being planned, but it is too much to handle for detective Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), whose approach is that of the bull in a china shop, even with the unwanted assistance of Alma (Mélanie Laurent), a beautiful blond French Interpol cop.

If you are familiar with this type of caper, you’ll appreciate that it is wise to keep in mind the throwaway piece of incidental narrative that is mentioned in an early scene, for it is invariably back to here that the circus is headed.

The journey is the fun, and there is much of it to be had in this, even if there is no piece of chicanery to match the opening gambit, the winner being CGI rather than good ol’ fashioned magic.

The Four Horsemen play a lesser part in the third act, which is a pity, because Harrelson and Eisenberg are excellent value. (I wonder if Eisenberg is such a smartarse in real life?)

Good, but not exceptional.

 

~ John Campbell 

Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Editorial – Joyous propaganda! 

The NSW Labor government marked its one year in office this week with a jubilant statement of achievements issued from Macquarie Street HQ.

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region.