Magicians (2007)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Andrew O'Connor

Writers:

David Britland (story) &
Andy Nyman (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 May 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Don't ask how they do it, ask why?

Plot:

A pair of rivaling stage magicians are forced to confront their falling out over a guillotine mishap when they compete in a magic competition. |

Plot Keywords:

Magician | Guillotine | Fear Of Flying | Nudity | Surprise After End Credits

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert Webb	...	Karl
David Mitchell	...	Harry
Sarah Hadland	...	Carol
Paul Mark Elliott	...	Theatre Manager
Karen Seacombe	...	Female Customer
Phil Nice	...	Male Customer
Jessica Hynes	...	Linda (as Jessica Stevenson)
Darren Boyd	...	Otto
Miranda Hart	...	Bank Manager
Angel Coulby	...	Receptionist
Robin Weaver	...	Caroline
Priyanga Burford	...	Female Colleague
Andrea Riseborough	...	Dani
Geoffrey McGivern	...	Magic Shop Manager
Marek Larwood	...	Colin
Tim Plester	...	Malky
Steve Edge	...	Tony White
Lucy Rhodes	...	Cafeteria Waitress
Katy Wix	...	Waitress
Eleanor Matsuura	...	Waitress
Gemma Charlotte	...	Waitress
Patrick Page	...	Wolfgang Eckhert
Peter Capaldi	...	Mike Francis
Luigi D'Allessandro	...	Judge
Ron Brooks	...	Judge
Rasmus Hardiker	...	Dwight
Scott Penrose	...	Magibot
George Keeler	...	Convention Magic Salesman
Juliet Cowan	...	Hotel Maid
James Bachman	...	Jersey Taxi Driver
Catherine Shepherd	...	Female Passenger
Stephen Aintree	...	London Taxi Driver
Alexander Kirk	...	Dietmar
James Smith	...	Richard
Rose Keegan	...	Daisy Prior
Jane Laver	...	Mandy Pandy
Tom Meeten	...	Photographer
Alex MacQueen	...	Stooge
Adrian Hood	...	Theatre Steward
Sally Chattaway	...	Lady In Audience
Vimala Rowe	...	Mike Francis' Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aladin	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ali Bongo	...	Himself (uncredited)
Gemma Cousins	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Rosie Fellner	...	Shelly (uncredited)
James Mellor	...	Greg Davis (uncredited)
Anthony Owen	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrew O'Connor

Writing credits
David Britland		(story) &
Andy Nyman		(story) &
Anthony Owen		(story) &
Andrew O'Connor		(story) &
Jesse Armstrong		(story) &
Sam Bain		(story)
Jesse Armstrong		(written by) &
Sam Bain		(written by)

Produced by
Jesse Armstrong	....	associate producer
Sam Bain	....	associate producer
Alexandra Ferguson	....	co-producer
Lizzie Francke	....	executive producer
Scott Kroopf	....	executive producer
Ollie Madden	....	producer
Michael Vine	....	co-producer: Breakout Films

Original Music by
Paul Englishby

Cinematography by
James Welland

Film Editing by
Lucien Clayton

Casting by
Sarah Crowe

Production Design by
Max Gottlieb

Art Direction by
Ben Munro

Costume Design by
Annie Hardinge

Makeup Department
Nikkie Grimshaw	....	trainee makeup artist
Susie Munachen	....	makeup designer
Camilla Kirk-Reynolds	....	makeup trainee (uncredited)

Production Management
Tim Wellspring	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Croucher	....	crowd third assistant director
Daniel Gill	....	third assistant director: additional photography (as Dan Gill)
Paula Turnbull	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jonnie Elf	....	set dresser
Hannah Evans	....	production buyer
Derek Gray	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ben Cross	....	assistant sound designer
Ben Harvey	....	sound designer
Tom Hutchings	....	assistant sound designer
Gareth Llewellyn	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Greg Marshall	....	supervising sound editor
Susan Pennington	....	dialogue editor
Jonathan Rimas	....	adr mixer
Leyton Rooney	....	supervising foley editor
Tim White	....	sound mixer
Tom Williams	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Papavramides Alexandra	....	digital compositor: Baseblack VFX
Matthew Bristowe	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Max Horton	....	colourist
Begoña Lopez	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Pat Wintersgill	....	on-line editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Sally Caldecutt	....	camera trainee
Camilla Drennan	....	clapper loader dailies
Paul Edwards	....	Steadicam operator
Carolyn Hughes	....	camera trainee
Paul Snell	....	camera trainee: "b" camera
Lee Wooster	....	electrician

Animation Department
Royce Carmichael	....	background artist
Paul Heyhoe	....	background artist

Casting Department
Cassandra King	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gabrielle Spanswick	....	costume supervisor
Aaron Timperley	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Siobhan Boyes	....	post-production coordinator
Stephen Haren	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Matt Biffa	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Nyree Pinder	....	score coordinator

Other crew
Helen Andre	....	script supervisor
Leon Ballin	....	location scout
Paul M. Brennan	....	floor runner
Vicky Chapman	....	locations runner
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
Cherry Fiddaman	....	production accountant
Richard Fiddaman	....	assistant accountant
Emma Gahan	....	assistant to director
Camille Gatin	....	assistant: Mr. Madden
Catherine Golding	....	production coordinator: additional photography
Marzenna Hiles	....	script supervisor
Dan Hodgett	....	location services
Paul Huntingford	....	assistant production coordinator
Rachel Kennedy	....	unit publicist
Alastair Mackay	....	crowd runner
Steve Mortimore	....	location manager
Scott Penrose	....	illusion builder
Scott Penrose	....	magic consultant
Asha Sharma	....	unit location assistant
Eve Swannell	....	production coordinator
Emma Yeomans	....	assistant location manager

Production Companies

• Breakout Films
• Intermedia Films
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Top Film (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Australia) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Germany) (all media)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Blind Beggar  special thanks
• Compuhire  video playback
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Mayflower Studios  adr recording studio
• Take 2 Film Services  camera equipment provided by

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:90 min (European Film Market)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Germany:12 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Jersey, Channel Islands

Company:

Breakout Films

Trivia:

The idea of Harry making a Pros and Cons list about his girlfriend and being found out is inspired by an episode of Friends where Ross makes a Pros and Cons list about Rachel and is found out.

Quotes:

Tony White: Question; where is a hunter's favourite place?
Harry: Tony, I don't know. Kenya?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: (#11.5)" (2006)

Sporadically amusing but not as funny as the cast suggests it should have been

Karl and Harry are magician partners, regularly wooing their audiences with their brand of mystery and wonder. However two events tear them apart. The first is Harry's discovery that Karl is having an affair with his wife. The second is Harry accidentally beheading that same wife during a mishap with a guillotine. Many years go by and Karl is still working as a magician but is trying to break into the TV niche held by David Blaine, Derrel Brown and others of that ilk. Meanwhile Harry is selling knives in the supermarket to earn his living. With the Magic Shield coming up, Harry turns to Karl to reunite temporarily and win the contest. However barely minutes into it, old tensions resurface and the pair split again to go head-to-head.

It is a little concerning to watch the progress of the career or Mitchell and Webb. I first came across them in the quite brilliant Peep Show, where their delivery was excellent against the strong material. Next I saw their sketch show and, although it was a bit hit and miss, it was still reasonably amusing. Afterwards comes this film which again is a step down even if the move into films appears to be a positive step. The concept appears to offer up potential but somehow the script doesn't really give them the material to work with. For some reason the script keeps them apart too often and gives them romantic subplots (of a sort) to deal with. The film is at its best when they are together, clashing with one another in the awkward and uneasy way they do. However it must be said that these moments are not frequent enough and mostly the film is just not that funny.

The rather British "awkward" humour is OK but not as well done as those used to it will have seen it done other places. Mitchell and Webb are both pretty good when the material is given to them but again, this is not often enough for what they have shown they are able to do. The support cast is full of familiar faces from Spaced, Saxondale, The Thick of It and several other strong British comedies. However nobody really have the chance to shine apart from the wonderfully letchy Edge. Stevenson (now Hynes), Hardiker, Riseborough, Capaldi and others are all OK, but it is the lack of material offered them that limits them.

Overall then an OK comedy but nothing more than that. Viewers get glimpses of what the film could have been or what the cast are capable of and, while these glimpses are occasionally funny they do not make up for the fact that they are only glimpses. Credit to Mitchell and Webb for trying to show that they are much more than just Peep Show actors, but Magicians is not the vehicle that will do that for them.