Magic Camp

This film, "Magic Camp", is pretty much what you'd expect--a documentary about some young budding magicians who go to a summer camp to refine their craft. In particular, three of the most promising of these kids are followed after they're selected in a competition among all the campers.

For what it's worth, the four other reviews for "Magic Camp" were done by folks who have not reviewed another film since. And, they all gave the movie a 10. Consider this, for what it's worth. As for me, I didn't see a whole lot in this film that got me THAT excited...at least not enough to imagine giving it a 10. In fact, compared to another similar film, "The Short Game" (about child golfers), it came up wanting. Why? Well, because the film just wasn't that interesting and I didn't really care about any of the kids. Their stories, to me, were not that interesting.

This charming documentary exposes one to the inside world of budding magicians by going behind the scenes of a Magic Camp. Some of the young magicians are so adept and quirky that you'd swear they were selected by central casting, rather than via meticulous and skillful editing of an enormous amount of film. From sleight-of-hand tricks to more elaborate deceptions, you'll even pick up some hints about the carefully kept secrets of magicians -- though not enough to duplicate their trickery. And all of this is set against a backdrop of adolescent angst and a group of norm-defying young people who lead humdrum lives when they're not on stage.

Go see it and you'll never look at another magician without recalling the movie. You'll wish you could hire some of these engaging young people for your next event that calls for entertainment.

God, this movie is good. It concerns a fascinating group of eccentrics - kids learning to do magic; and the professionals volunteering to teach them. Everyone is more than just quirky. They're gifted and dedicated/obsessive artists, performers, shticklers.

And yes, the magic is breathtaking. That stuff is fun.

We follow a week of Magic Camp, an end-of-summer institution, of many years standing. It's an uncannily articulate group, varied in age, styles, strengths, and character. The focus is on five kids, learning and competing for the last night's show. There is a maze of complex rivalries, kindnesses, struggles. The story-telling is riveting.

A great, moving movie. I saw it in NYC, in a huge venue. That was one happy crowd.

One of the few documentaries you'll want to watch more than once. Insightful and inspirational, the film will change your perceptions about magic as you lose yourself in the emotional journey of the next generation of people who create it. The dynamic counselors clearly care about both the campers and their craft, treating the campers as fellow magicians and not as children. Many of the kids are clever and precocious; they'll make you laugh despite yourself.

Particularly touching is one camper's struggle with Tourette's Syndrome and OCD, the side effects of which are revealed dramatically in the film. Magic seems to provide him with an miraculous escape from the reality of his struggles. This theme is echoed in touching detail in the stories of several other campers: a female magician, a dedicated Christian, a talented young man struggling with dyslexia and a gifted but direction-less older teen.

Shot, edited and scored so well you'll forget its a documentary and be shattered all over again as you realize the unscripted truth behind the magic of the story.

Intensely moving and unashamedly honest: I defy you not to cry.

This film captures the passion, the angst, the joys and the perils of growing into -- and getting through -- adolescence through the prism of "Magic Camp," to which teens go during the summer for magic immersion. It is whimsical, heartbreaking and hilarious. There are moments when you are completely uncertain where the film is going - you are introduced to characters who you follow throughout their Magic Camp stays and each of the kids has their own trajectory and personal story. Some kids go to camp because they feel socially isolated and find magic to be the only way they can comfortably feel okay in their own skins; others seem more socially adept and view magic as a compelling, albeit somewhat obsessive, component of their lives. But for all these kids, it is the passion and love they have for what they do that makes the film so "magical."