This movie is an incredible mesh of storytelling and style.
I first saw this film at a festival in Texas, and I was immediately blown away. The camera work in "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" is a thing of slow beauty, in tune not only with the haunting use of light, but also with the revelations contained within the story. The camera plays the role of a character that truly encompasses the viewing experience, unlike most films where the viewer is an omniscient third party simply watching things happen. Szasz blows out the windows in many of the shots, using white light and sterile environments to bring out the humanity in his characters. The story throws you for a loop - Szasz pulls you in one direction, giving you evidence upon evidence that all seems to add up, only to surprise the viewer by skillfully revealing the true reasons behind these strange events. The climactic scene is as emotionally powerful as it is aesthetically beautiful.
The only bad thing I can say about this film is that a few of the people I've shown it to didn't fully understand the ending. However, I never felt any confusion after watching it, and most people responded as I did. Szasz doesn't dumb down the story for you; he leaves a gap and expects the viewer to make the logical connections. He is subtle without being vague. All in all, you will be hard pressed to find a better way to spend 30 minutes of your life than watching this film.
I first saw this film at a festival in Texas, and I was immediately blown away. The camera work in "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" is a thing of slow beauty, in tune not only with the haunting use of light, but also with the revelations contained within the story. The camera plays the role of a character that truly encompasses the viewing experience, unlike most films where the viewer is an omniscient third party simply watching things happen. Szasz blows out the windows in many of the shots, using white light and sterile environments to bring out the humanity in his characters. The story throws you for a loop - Szasz pulls you in one direction, giving you evidence upon evidence that all seems to add up, only to surprise the viewer by skillfully revealing the true reasons behind these strange events. The climactic scene is as emotionally powerful as it is aesthetically beautiful.
The only bad thing I can say about this film is that a few of the people I've shown it to didn't fully understand the ending. However, I never felt any confusion after watching it, and most people responded as I did. Szasz doesn't dumb down the story for you; he leaves a gap and expects the viewer to make the logical connections. He is subtle without being vague. All in all, you will be hard pressed to find a better way to spend 30 minutes of your life than watching this film.