2 posts categorized "Magic"

April 22, 2018

DEALT

ColeSmithey.comGroupthink doesn't live here, critical thought does.

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DealtLuke Korem’s Cinema Vérité documentary about “card mechanic” Richard Turner is an exquisitely told story of an incredibly talented man’s journey toward becoming a stronger individual with the support of his loving family.

Turner practices with three to five decks of cards a day for 16 hours every day, as he has done for most of his life. He give performances where he demonstrates card cheat tricks used by dealers to control card games.

Mr. Turner can cut a deck of cards precisely in half-stacks of 26 in a less than a second. True wizardry resides in Richard Turner's constantly moving hands that each endlessly manipulate decks of cards.

Screen Shot 2022-03-26 at 8.25.42 PM

“Dealt” is a documentary of such deep human beauty that the less you know going in, the more fresh your experience will be when you watch the film. Stop what you're doing and stream this movie with your friends and family. I promise you’ll be affected in a positive way.

This is Luke Korem's second film. His first film ("Lord Montagu" —2013)," comes highly recommended.  

Richardturner

Not Rated. 85 mins. 

5 StarsModern Cole

Cozy Cole

Cole Smithey on Patreon

April 18, 2013

DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY

  ColeSmithey.com    Groupthink doesn't live here, critical thought does.

Welcome!

This ad-free website is dedicated to Agnès Varda and to Luis Buñuel.

Get cool rewards when you click on the button to pledge your support through Patreon.

Thanks a lot acorns!

Your kind generosity keeps the reviews coming!

Cole Smithey on Patreon



ColeSmithey.comFew documentaries achieve the degree of thoroughness and compulsive kicks of euphoric enjoyment that documentarian Molly Bernstein delivers with an ease comparable to that of her worthy subject, Ricky Jay — magician, actor, writer, and a veritable walking encyclopedia.

If you don’t consciously know who Ricky Jay is, don’t worry you’ll recognize him immediately from his many supporting acting roles in films such as “Boogie Nights,” “The Prestige,” or ‘The Brothers Bloom.”

ColeSmithey.com

However, the role that fits Ricky Jay best is the one he grew up perfecting since the age of four, that of a highly skilled magician. The filmmakers give loving attention in providing incredibly rare archive footage and photos of the magicians who mentored Jay over his long career. Legendary magicians such as Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini, Dai Vernon, and Charlie Miller all figure prominently in Ray’s retelling of his time spent meeting and studying at the feet of his masters. Black-and-white footage of a seven-year-old Ricky Jay performing his act, involving an unlikely pair of small animals, is pretty magical indeed. A plethora of truly mind-blowing tricks follow. Turning a tiny piece of paper into a live moth with his fingertips is one you’ll not soon forget.

ColeSmithey.com

Ricky Jay is most comfortable sitting at his practice table with a deck of cards — something he has spent many thousands of hours doing for nearly everyday of his life. His sleight-of-hand artistry is mesmerizing. Like a precious thematic touchstone, the film reliably returns to Ray’s hands as he shuffles and manipulates the cards he uses to blow the minds of audiences with seamless “effects.” Jay talks about misdirection but no matter how closely you study his moves, you can’t catch him.

ColeSmithey.com

“Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay” has an addictive quality about it. There’s a good chance you’ll want to see it again as soon as it’s over. The film speaks to the elusive craft of magic, and to the staggering dedication of its most ardent practitioners. As a consequence, it also speaks to the nature of many types of physical skills that have been devalued to the point of extinction. A few brief clips of Vaudeville performers executing various acts of remarkable precision demonstrate an undervalued kind of human ingenuity.

ColeSmithey.com

The film makes its deepest mark with story told by a BBC reporter for whom Ricky performed a specific effect involving a block of ice. Tears come to her eyes as she reveals the tidal wave of emotion that swept over her in a restaurant where the even took place. They don’t call it “magic” for nothing. This movie has plenty of enchantment to spare. Here is the best documentary of 2013, so far. Don’t miss it.

Not Rated. 88 mins.

5 Stars

Cozy Cole

Cole Smithey on Patreon

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