Summing up, good but not great, Curtis, Leigh, their chemistry, the visuals and stunts make it a worthwhile watch. The characters engage, Houdini is a source of admiration and inspiration, and the direction shows visual and dramatic skill. Download this stock image: Master mystifier, Houdini the greatest necromancer of the ag - ER6W3G from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Houdini's campaign against anything supernatural) and the stunts/escapes are genuinely awe-inspiring and suspenseful, some edge of your seat stuff there. The script is thoughtful, is a lot of fun and doesn't fall into cloying sentimentality, with elements of Houdini's life that do really intrigue (i.e. The story moves efficiently and still remains absorbing and easy to engage and identify with. Furthermore, 'Houdini' looks great, the sumptuous period detail and vibrant colours are a feast for the eyes. Torin Thatcher is particularly good of the solid supporting cast. This is something very important, seeing as this is an element of the story that is focused on sizeably. Leigh is incredibly charming and their romantic chemistry sparkles and moves, one does feel like they're in love. On the other hand, Curtis puts a lot of energy and passion to the title role and his performance is one of his best early ones. Didn't see the point of the change, it would have been more moving if the truth was intact. There are also liberties, some of them not hurting the film much but the more dramatic licenses do and distort a bit, especially the over-dramatic ending. Houdini's life was much more colourful and interesting than this intriguing and fun if slightly "cliff notes" depiction, and with a longer length the film would have been more detailed and not as rushed structurally. A longer length would have benefitted, so that the script could have gone into more detail and depth with what is presented while also including more. While 'Houdini' is very well made and entertaining on its own as a film, the man himself and his life, of which the film is very loosely based upon, are not as well served. It certainly serves them well and one can see what the appeal is. It is interesting to see Curtis and then-wife Janet Leigh together on film, and 'Houdini' is the first of five pairings. Found myself quite by accident seeing a number of Tony Curtis films and it's turned into something of a quest. 'Houdini' was partly seen because Harry Houdini was a very interesting man and his life, cut short too early in tragic circumstances from peritonitis/complications from a ruptured appendix (although it is also believed it was caused by being punched in the abdomen), even more fascinating.
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