The Magician (2006) Movie Information:

The Magician (2006) Directed by: Scott Ryan The Magician (2006) Written by: Scott Ryan The Magician (2006) Cast: Scott Ryan, Ben Walker, Massimiliano Andrighetto, Kane Mason, Nathaniel Lindsay

The Magician (2006) U.S. Distributor: Trinity Filmed Entertainment The Magician (2006) U.K. Distributor: Trinity Filmed Entertainment

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The Magician (2006) Synopsis:

"The Magician" is a darkly comic film about Melbourne-based hitman Ray Shoesmith who is being filmed by his friend and neighbour Max, a film student. As Shoesmith goes about his chilling business – threatening violence and in some cases making good on those threats – Max's camera continues to roll. Charismatic and opportunistic, Shoesmith makes the most of his 15 minutes of fame dictating the action with his mordant wit, dry asides and unpredictable violence.

The Magician (2006) Movie Review:

With an unflinching reality-doc style, writer-director-actor Scott Ryan livens up what's essentially a grim examination of a lowlife Melbourne thug. There's nothing particularly new here, but the storytelling style makes it worth a look.

Ray (Scott Ryan) is a hitman who prides himself in his efficient way of making people disappear. His driver Max (Andrighetto) is making a documentary about him, shooting with a video camera from job to job. There's the guy (Adam Ryan) who's quickly dispatched in his garage, the fellow criminal (Mason) who doesn't leave town when he's told, a man (Lindsay) who requires a bit of convincing, and the hostage (Walker) who may find a way to save his own skin.

We watch everything through Max's lens, and he clearly admires Ray. The film's extended takes mostly feature Ray talking straight to camera in a way that blends Tarantino-esque banality with Kath & Kim satire. This is sharp black comedy that keeps us laughing even as it repels us with Ray's brutal existence. The limited perspective and settings (mostly in the car or hotel room) prevent the film from ever developing into a fully rounded portrayal of a hitman, but clever editing and inventive improvisation keep it lively and engaging.

The acting is both raw and amusing, nicely balancing comedy with realistic brutality. We never sympathise with anyone, but we're gripped by Ray's magnetic personality, as is everyone he encounters. The story is told out of sequence, editing each isolated episode together into one overriding narrative arc and punctuating it with absurdly hilarious moments. Such as Ray consulting the hostage in the boot to settle an argument he and Max are having.

Conversations range from thoughtful (about drug addiction or Ray's army past) to ridiculous (about how gay Hollywood is). Several sequences are horribly violent, either building to gripping suspense, shocking us with a sudden act or simply presenting death as Ray's matter-of-fact business. Alongside this are comical running gags, such as an ongoing saga involving underpants that has a perfectly dry punchline. Or the sexuality subtext that keeps interfering with the conversations. Walking the knife-edge of humour and horror this successfully is no mean feat, and it bodes well for whatever Ryan does next.

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The Magician (2006) review written by: Rich Cline