Magicians: Life in the Impossible (2016) Online

You know what film is an 8/10 or a 9/10? Wolf of Wallstreet. You know what film is not? Documentary on Magicians. Yet, judging by all of the high star ratings and glowing reviews, you'd think this film may win an Oscar(and one fake reviewer even suggested it!). Wrong. Fake reviews....they are plaguing IMDb.

Many of these reviewers have ONLY reviewed ONE FILM (This film!). The one reviewer who has multiple previously-reviewed films gives an unbiased, low rating. Surprise: 3 out of 4 people said his review was Not helpful. Weird right? A very insightful, unbiased review is met with such universal disagreement. I'm guessing These fake reviewers can't help but also sabotage legitimate reviews too. Pathetic.

Note to fake reviewers: at least pump in a few reviews for other films so you can appear to be a film fan and not affiliated with the film you are reviewing.

If anyone involved in the film (aka the fake reviewers) is reading this, please take note: YOU ARE RUINING IMDb! It has become a biased, fictitious ratings-land where the average consume cannot get an objective review of a film.

My suggestion: move along to a film that stands on its own merit and doesn't need to trick you into viewing.

One has to rate movies like this against other documentaries. Its certainly better than the bevy of Netflix NAZI documentaries out there and it manages to hold up without a narration, which can be a test of documentary storytelling. So kudos for that.

It's well shot and has a modestly coherent story line following 3 "magicians" and one "illusionist". The movie has 3 major problems however:

1. It's a slice-of-life documentary, 75% of which could have applied to anyone in any occupation. Relationship problems, bankruptcy, dogs needing to be put down, living on the road, hustling for the next job, etc. Pretty boring and uninteresting stuff given that we're ostensibly following the lives of "magicians" who might have something interesting up their sleeves. But no.

2. The most interesting questions raised as we follow each of these guys is largely, if not completely ignored.

How did the guy who was "Johnny Carson's favorite magician" manage to end up broke, living in a studio apartment while his ex-lover/female assistant lives in a castle?

Why did the close-up card trick magician only really perform in magic shops and, although managing to "reach all his dreams" was dropped by his wife after only 2 years of marriage? Did she not know he was a road warrior?

Why didn't we get to watch all the preparation needed by the other close-up artist as he prepped for his breakout TV appearance - and then be treated to how it all came out? We don't.

And finally, what was with the whole idea of including a popular, gay illusionist in the line- up amongst the loser card trick magicians? Since he was the only one who had made it big, we have to assume the moral of his story is either a.) choose big production illusionist gags over close-up work to make it big or b.) maybe best to shack up with an aging ex- illusionist who can produce your shows? Who knows.

One thing that really irked me about the illusionist storyline was that we learn that apparently a rival stole his prestige illusion but had evidently never thought to protect the IP related to the trick. He and his "partner" go see a lawyer who nonsensically tells the pair that an illusion is only "owned" if it gets associated with a particularly big personality.

Obviously this is ridiculous.

Everyday, famous Hollywood producers have to pay off nobody screenwriters after stealing their intellectual property and making a pant load off of their screenplay. How is the illusionist biz any different? Just because someone is more famous doesn't mean they can steal then claim as their's, someone else's IP.

But the documentary makes no effort to follow up on this obvious intrigue. One is left to assume that our subject illusionist gave it up because he, himself stole the trick from yet someone else and that's why he didn't pursue the lawsuit.

All this to say, a whole lot of interesting subject matter was left unaddressed while we followed each magician from sad venue to sad venue and meanwhile, watched the rich illusionist and his lover do a great impression of the two gay guys in Best In Show. Blech.

All in all, could have been a solid 8 in the genre but it got caught up in the mundane and ended up a weak 6.

BTW, whoever rates most ANY movie a 10 much less a maudlin docudrama like the "Magicians" is just being dishonest.

Only a few movies rate a 10 (or a 1 for that matter) and this isn't one of them.

Rather depressing but realistic look at the hardships and loneliness of performing as a professional magician made even more sad by recent revelations about Daryl Easton (not featured in the movie) who just committed suicide at the Magic Castle before a performance.

3 out of the 4 magicians show well known performers eeking out a living, with no partners except for dogs. The one performer who seems to be a success and at the end of the film gets a gig at a major Las Vegas showroom, was arrested after filming ended and is now in jail facing 30 years for child pornography.

"Magicians: Life in the Impossible" is a documentary that fails to pull a rabbit out of its hat. The film follows several professional magicians over a couple years. This approach to documentary filmmaking can capture both magic and the mundane. Unfortunately, "Magician" captures more mundane than magic. It never elevated the material beyond the myopic "day in the life" to capture a larger epiphany on the human condition. We see the individual magicians hustle for bookings, have relationship issues, and have moms that are proud of them, like non-magicians.

The filmmakers also make a possibly necessary but unfortunate choice to not show how magic is done. We hardly ever see the magicians slaving in the workshop creating new tricks, nor do we ever receive more than a simplistic understanding of why these individuals became magicians.

It appears most magicians get their start because they are given magic tricks as a gift when they are young. However, were they trying to disappear from a difficult home life, bullying, to become popular, or impress a significant other? What is the psychology of becoming a magician. The interior life of the subjects are never illuminated to a degree that provides real insight.)

There is one noteworthy relationship captured in the film between a young magician in Las Vegas and his patron, who takes him from north strip to south strip. The filmmakers should have probably focused on the two of them, because their snippy, quirky, and funny repartee accentuates that the other featured magicians lack lives that depict anything new about the human condition.

All films must reveal truth, and documentaries more often do than other films, but sometimes the truth captured on film is not that magical.

I was always fascinated by magic as a child because it was something different and it was something people do not understand. I was young and naive then and my perception on magic has changed.

Magic is not a world of innocence or astounding confusion but magic is dog eat dog world. Criss Angel got his bite in this show but that is not to say other magicians have done the magic they did in this show.

I can not recall the names of other magicians who did the same trick as the guys in this show. This documentary does not point out the beauty in magic but the malicious hatred and the hopeless ambition of synthetic wealth.

Its a miserable industry and the idea of making friends through mystical talent is an elated cover up for a more sin sinister truth.

This is a solid documentary. As long as you don't expect it to explain tricks like an episode of Myth Busters (which it doesn't claim to do) and you come to this subject with general knowledge (an average viewer), then I can fully recommend the film. It covers 4 to 5 main subjects --which is a lot to handle-- so critiques that the doc didn't go "deep enough" aren't relevant when considering the scope, and this movie has plenty of depth to it. More than I expected. It seems that the sour reviewers here mirror some of the very same jaded and cynical traits that they criticize.

I thought what this movie showed was brave. It felt like an honest, real edit. There are plenty of scenes that would never make it into a reality TV show because they don't fit into TV's simple dramatic themes. There are issues that are both dark and subtle (that don't necessarily have a satisfying made-for-TV resolution). But that's what sets apart a good documentary from a cheap TV show. The filmmakers couldn't have known how each character's life was going to play out, and they seemed to represent it honestly.

The reviewer who rated this movie a "1" is doing an even larger disservice to the film than the reviewers he suspects are fake (which are few). And his history is more biased than these supposed "fake reviewers" as well, given that a "1" is his third most common score (after a "10" and a "9" respectively).

It's such a shame that the message boards were taken away. I've seen several movies since then that I would've really liked to discuss (not tweet about).

Only found David and Jon relatable. Brian and Jan peeved me. Also, Brian left his dog in the car while performing.

MAGICIANS follows four world-class magicians on stage and off, exploring how and why these characters so passionately dedicate their lives to the craft of illusion. Their journey takes us from the most humbling of road gigs to grand performances on the biggest of stages, from finding love to terrible personal loss; and to the prospect of losing everything for a dream others don't understand.

This is a good documentary about breaking into the magic business, and the ups and downs therein. Unless you are really into magic, though, these are probably not people you have heard of. They may be "world class", but they are not world famous.

There is an interesting moment where one magician rips off another magician's trick. Like, almost exactly. I think there is a great legal story in there somewhere that was missed.

The ostensible topics of this film -- card tricks, slight of hand, and other magic -- are treated with skilled cinematography, slowly weaving us through the world of magic as experienced by both the audience and the magicians. But the true magic of the film is found in the subtle yet profound layers it unfolds (with no narrative, simply good documentary art) of the people behind the magic, and the many different paths they take in their love of the craft.

As someone who was not especially interested in magic before I watched the film, I recommend the film for opening my eyes to this fascinating world. But even for people convinced that magic will never intrigue them, the documentary is worth watching for its masterful treatment of visuals and people.

Just like Bullwinkle's hat trick, this movie doesn't work. The synopsis states that THIS is the real secret: "far more fascinating than the magic are the magicians themselves." Wrong. Way too much time is spent humanizing the magicians. Once the curtain is pulled back to reveal their lives off stage...guess what? Tuh-dah!! They're just normal people! They have relationship problems, money concerns, career uncertainty, and pets that they love. FASCINATING!

What makes magicians 'fascinating' is the art and secrecy of the craft. Virtually none of that is addressed. I had no expectation or desire to learn the methods of their craft, but show us what goes on in the industry that the public is unaware of. Just when it starts to head in that direction (Criss Angel is caught blatantly stealing one magician's signature illusion), the resolution is one sentence: "we decided not to sue." Fine, but did he steal the trick or not? What is Criss Angel's take on this?

The film explores 'why' these guys chase their dreams. But, there's no mystery to reveal. It's because they love magic! Duh. The real "why" I was hoping to learn is never answered. They ALL have passion, skill, and years of experience. So WHY is one guy still teaching at poorly attended magic classes in spite of appearing on the Tonight Show three times? How does one guy get a TV special while the other sells mini magic toilet plungers? Why is one guy performing for a bachelorette party while another is headlining in Vegas at his own theater? Again...one sentence: "to make a long story short, they offered him the Tropicana Theater." *sigh* Of course, the biggest downfall with this film is the illusion pulled on the producers by one of the star magicians. "Far more fascinating than the magic" turns out to be a sad and gross understatement about the life of Jan Rouven.

I get that when you are a nobody you get first row access to nobodies. And has beens. So it's fine. But what does this waste of time wants to say? That life as a magician is better than janitor? At about half time I have lost interest in decrypting this.

I just watched this for the very first time and found it intriguing and very worthy of purchase. A magical documentary filled with both humanity and humility deeply rooted in reality. A transparently revealing view of the sometimes extravagant and other times very humbling lives of a few professional magicians. A behind-the-curtains look of what it is actually like living and working in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles area and the emotional, ethical, financial, and professional challenges they face on a daily basis in their never ending pursuit of happiness.

P.S. The documentaries The Magic Life and Our Magic also come highly recommended.

I never thought that being a magician could be that harsh. Even in the fames of glory, with millions of dollars in banks, they still face critics and problems like we all do. They are humans. So we are. And no one makes any exception from the cruel reality of life. You gain a deeper sense of respect and appreciation for everything these persons do to not only entertain us, but to create a surreal connection between us and them.

There is a lot to enjoy about this film. Beautiful cinematography, well edited and shot, they picked a four very well known and very different performers, from close up to stage performers. You get to see what it's really like to be truly dedicated to the art. The stories are each very interesting and varied. If you are wanting to see a lot of performances of magic, that's not the focus here. Yes, there is magic to be seen by some of the best magicians in the world. But the focus is on the performers as human beings and how they work to be successful in their profession as well as in their personal lives. If that storyline interests you, then this is a great film to watch. Hope you enjoy it

I was going to review it for Magic Magazine, but alas, the magazine disappeared a few months too soon. So as the movie gets its release on itunes and elsewhere this week, I had to say a couple things about it.

This is a wonderful film and easily the best documentary about magic I have ever seen. I recommend this to magicians and non-magicians alike – it's fun, charming, entertaining and fascinating. In some sense, it is not about magic at all -- it is a very personal and revealing peek into the lives of a handful of magicians. They are all terrific performers and fascinating characters, but I have to give special shout out to Jon Armstrong and Brian Gillis for an act of generosity and bravery in allowing us to see them at their most vulnerable. This has a huge impact on allowing us to root for them and join in their failures and triumphs.

And huge props to directors Hume and Baaden for creating portraits that are very intimate without ever being awkward or exploitative – you can feel the directors' love for their subjects in every scene. They've pulled off a remarkable trick of their own, allowing honest human stories to unfold naturally while managing to keep the pace moving and the stories engaging. They've distilled five years worth of filming into a remarkable whole where no story seems forced, yet every cut between stories seems meaningful.

Beautifully shot and scored, this is the real deal.

I just finished the documentary and it is a masterwork. Human, touching, and unforgettable. I saw this team's documentary, "Hood the Coast: The Movie" and they have come such a long ways. This film is so expertly crafted and moving.

The magicians each are such wonderful, compelling stories. With beautiful tricks (how did they do that?) and such passion and dedication to their craft. OK, and I'm not a magic (or mime) guy! When it all comes down, we are humans on this brief, planetary existence. Here are people dedicated to their craft, entertaining people and leaving us all asking, "How did they do that?" (Including these two filmmakers.)

Magicians should be nominated for an Academy Award. Don't miss! (Truly great.)

Being a doco lover - I always get excited when netflix adds another Doco to its library. I thought this film had decent IMDb ratings so I watched it. I have to say that this film was terrible. There were no strong story arcs, there was no 'magic moments', the editing was really slow, the music was cheesy - I don't get why Netflix would add this film to there programming. As a general rule, I never watch films that get a score of under 6 on IMDb and it was only later that I found out that the filmmakers paid people for good reviews and IMDb scores.....Come on guys "10 out of 10", "best documentary out there".."should get an academy award" I mean really - this is an insult to audiences and film-lovers.

Edit: There are claims of "fake reviews" from reviewers without a prior history at IMDb. Yes, I don't generally go out of my way to write IMDb reviews. This isn't a fake or insincere review.

The new Magicians documentary finally rolls up the sleeves to show you exactly what is hidden there. The private lives of real magic-makers.

Magicians is fun, funny, poignant, and revealing- in fact upsettingly blunt to some aficionados (as I overheard it at the premiere). But that is the greatest strength of the film: honesty. In recent years, documentaries as a genre have become polluted with fawning love letters to the subject, political propaganda, and sacrificing authenticity for drama. This is no love letter. What you get is an unflinching look at what it takes to be a professional magician. Highs and lows, glamour and glam-less. No smoke, just mirrors. The six magicians (making up four acts) profiled were well chosen. All stage magicians, but they could hardly be more different, and they occupy totally different magic niches. The contrasting situations and characters creates a wonderful harmony against the thematic melody that runs through each of their lives. Themes of internecine conflict, of arrogance vs humility, and glory vs mundanity. It is here, where the themes are used to seamlessly bridge disparate magicians, that the masterful skill of the film's creators (Marcie Hume and Christoph Baaden) is the most obvious.

They say that half of a stage magician's performance is good storytelling. I can see why these six are great performers. They have a well of inspiration for great stories- their lives.

Rating: 10/10 would conjure again. Also, it has some really awesome magic.

First of all, I know nothing about magic so that may heavily affect how someone views this film, but as someone who loves documentaries, I gave it a solid 9. This kind of style really appeals to me and I feel like I get a level of intimacy with the characters that seems to be missing from other docs that I've seen recently. That for me bumped it from a 8 to an 9. I think it's worth the watch.

As for the fake reviews, did it ever occur to you guys that the people who were in the film, who have probably never had another credit to their name on IMDb gave the film a positive review because they actually liked it? They got their first credit, made an IMDb profile, and then reviewed the movie they were in. Doesn't make it fake and it's a pretty big dick move to try to hurt a project. Tired of seeing that kind of thing on IMDb.

fake reviews are easy to spot and i suggest that all should check if they find ratings and reviews a litel suspicious. just click on the name of the reviewer and see if their profile was created at the same time as they reviewed, and they probably also just reviewed the film in question and no other. even if a film was brilliant the fake reviews would make me avoid it so they're really counter productive. happy hunting.. ! i notice i have to write more in order to have this published, the minimum reivew length being 10 lines. so i'll take this opportunity to recommend a really good flick that's not so well known, the fall, from 2006, enjoy.. !

A lackluster run-of-the-mill and amateurish documentary. The only thing that distinguishes this is the ton of fake reviews by one-review wonders obviously affiliated with the film. I hope this film fails miserably despite the fraudulent glowing reviews. Posting fake reviews has clearly become a strategy that untalented filmmakers use to hawk their mediocre films to moviegoers by simply lying about the films' qualities. Trust me, you will have more fun watching a kids' party magician twist balloons than suffering through this excuse of a film. NOTE TO FAKE REVIEWERS: you should be ashamed of yourselves for promoting these grade C efforts. If you spent more time on your filmmaking and less on writing fake reviews, some day you might actually produce a decent movie. I wish FakeSpot would add the IMDb reviews to the list of sites it analyzes to rate the quality of the reviews.