Comedy drama. 2009. 88 min. With John Malkovich, Colin Hanks and Emily Blunt. Directed by Sean McGinly. PG.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Willem Möller
This film is based on true events: as a young man director McGinly worked as road manager for The Amazing Kreskin - a joke-telling, singing, piano-playing hypnotist/psychic/magician - then later wrote this script about his experiences. Because the story is about a young man (Hanks) trying to find himself rather than about Kreskin, McGinly invented the fictional Buck Howard (Malkovich), a “mentalist” with an act similar to Kreskin’s. The ageing Buck’s once-successful career is going downhill fast. He becomes obsessed with a publicity stunt he believes will get him back on track and employs a publicist (Blunt) to help him pull it off – but things don’t go as planned.
Hanks does a fine job as the young man holding his boss’ chaotic life together while trying to figure out where his own is going. But Malkovich is the star of the show, brilliantly bringing to life the grumpy, eccentric Buck’s dedication to his craft 0 and addiction to fame and adoration. Beautifully filmed and directed with a subtle touch this is a most enjoyable film. Bonus: featurette; interview with The Amazing Kreskin.
