Perry Kate
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Tetrady
not as good as all the hype
Solidrariol
Am I Missing Something?
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
tkmca
This is an amazing piece of filming, original made as a "short" by Scott Ryan, who was talked into making it into a full-length feature. Written, directed and the main actor Scott Ryan made this film a budget of $3,000. Australian Dollar. Awards and film festivals: Australian Film Critics association Awards 2005: Nominated: Best Actor In A Lead Role (Scott Ryan) Cinematic intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2005: Nominated: Best Australian film Edinburgh International film Festival 2005: World Première If Awards 2005: Nominated: best Actor (Scott Ryan), Independent Spirit (Scott Ryan, Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton) Why this film wasn't publicised and advertised to the hilt is beyond my understanding. It is totally fascinating and crosses all age barriers. How can you so like a man who's profession is "Hitman" Witty and so matter-of-fact that you don't realise that you are empathising with a professional killer. You like him. 10/10
fan69er
In the same mould as Clerks, we follow the life of hit-man Ray, who prides himself on making people disappear. Set in a period where underworld violence was big news in Melbourne, this movie attempts to give an insight into the people behind the crime and not the crime itself.Just like Clerks, the characters debate trivial facts - such as Clint Eastwood's CV, the price of eating faeces - and it is in these conversations that we discover Ray's personality. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Scott Ryan (scriptwriter, directer and star) has restricted what we discover about Ray. We don't hear Ray justifying his line of work and we certainly don't find out the fate of his target, Tony (who offers to pay off Ray), almost until the end.Whilst the minimalistic feel of the photography may make some cringe, it certainly adds to the situation of the movie. The real winner in this movie is in the script and it's delivery. Without seeming to over-act, Ryan and Ben Walker's Tony give a realistic depiction of the situation.Scott Ryan has created an debut that (with a four figure budget) has fascinated Australian film-goers and kept us wondering what's next.
iipigbear
The Magician is a fake documentary about Ray Shoesmith who makes a living killing people. He is working as a hit-man for the different drug related organizations.The whole idea first sounds bizarre, and it is. Ray is not your slick "in and out without a trace" type of hit-man. This man feels like the real deal, he kills people in a violent and realistic way often by simply shooting them at pointblank and then hiding the body in the woods.Nothing about Ray's life is amazing or exciting, he eats burgers, he is not cool, he doesn't drop amazing punchlines before he hits someone or plants a bullet in their face. It reminds me a bit of a danish film called Pusher. It's the same kind of "vibe".The keyword for this movie would be realistic. The whole thing feels VERY real, and the actors are doing an amazing job.If we break it down not everyone will love this movie, it's very different, very different.
Sacha Van Spall
When Melbourne hit-man Ray Shoesmith discovers that his next-door neighbour is a film student, he commissions him to document his life - the footage is to be released à la Pauline Hanson in the event of his early death. Australian filmmaker Scott Ryan is writer, director and star of The Magician. It's not the violence that Ryan focuses on, but the conversation, the banalities and intensities of human interaction and obsessive interest in detail. The film shows us what makes Ray tick as we witness first hand his brutal efficiency. It's a fake documentary played straight. It's darkly comic and totally draws you in, to the point where you wonder if it's real. It's Ryan's marvellous performance that serves as the glue that holds everything together. His character is a killer, a man who'd as soon pull the trigger as not, but without smoothing out any of the rough edges the actor makes you like him when what you should be feeling is utter loathing. And that's no small achievement. Scott Ryan has a gift for the Aussie vernacular that ensures his remarkable debut (think Chopper meets Spinal Tap) is destined for cult status.
