Death Defying Acts (2007)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Gillian Armstrong

Writers:

Tony Grisoni (written by) &
Brian Ward (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

There is no escape.

Plot:

On a tour of Britain in 1926, Harry Houdini enters into a passionate affair with a psychic out to con the famous magician.

Plot Keywords:

Psychic | Narration | Escape Artist | Dying Words | Fraud

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Guy Pearce	...	Harry Houdini
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Mary McGarvie
Timothy Spall	...	Sugarman
Saoirse Ronan	...	Benji McGarvie
Malcolm Shields	...	Leith Romeo
Leni Harper	...	Leith Romeo's wife
Ralph Riach	...	Mr. Robertson
Olivia Darnley	...	Flower Stall Seller
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Oily Librarian
Billy McColl	...	McTavish
James Holmes	...	Ugly Mug
Melanie Harris	...	Rose (as Frankey Martyn)
Aileen O'Gorman	...	Effie - Elderly Seamstress
Raymond Griffiths	...	Music Hall Dwarf
Shaun Mason	...	Heckler

Also Known As:

Death Defying Acts: Houdini's Secret (USA) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some sensuality, thematic material, language, violent content and smoking.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | Australia

Language:

English | Hungarian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG | Ireland:PG | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-7 | Hong Kong:IIA | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene before Houdini try to communicate with his passed mother via Mary McGarvie, it can be clearly seen there is a vacuum tube that happened to be a 6C33C Russian vacuum tube, which does not exist until the 60s, and further more, that vacuum tube couldn't work anymore, since it was leaked (it has a white layer of powder inside the tube that shows there is air inside).

The fruit of divorce is not always sweet.

MIRAMAX FILMS has, for many years, been the most reliable source of films aimed at mature audiences (adults over age 11), but following the Weinstein Brothers hissie-fit with Disney which left their Miramax behind and created the Weinstein Company, the combined output of both falls considerable short; with Disney's Miramax still delivering the better product.

Pity the poor Weinsteins. In order to lay claim on some level of prestiege they made a deal with Blockbuster to make their releases Blockbuster Exclusives. Many, like this one, go directly to DVD anyway. Trouble is, these "exclusives" are readily available anywhere, thus I rented Death Defying Acts at Video Vault rather than pay Blockbuster's excessive price of $5.26.

Death Defying Acts has an artsy look about it, but all it amounts to is a boring rip-off of the Houdini story, focusing instead on a psychic and her daughter who try to involve Mr. Houdini for their own selfish purpose. No wonder they couldn't even get a play of this one in theaters. Gillian Armstrong is NOT a great director. Mediocre is the word here.