Film Reviews

Death Defying Acts

• Director: Gillian Armstrong
• Starring: Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Saoirse Ronan, Timothy Spall
• Details: UK/Aus / 97mins / (PG)

PREVIEW

Guy Pearce takes on the role of the infamous Hungarian escape artist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in the 1920s. Houdini becomes embroiled with beautiful psychic Mary (Zeta-Jones), but her only intent is to con him out of a $10,000 reward he has offered to anyone that can help him contact his deceased mother and reveal her last words. This she aims to do with the help of her daughter, and young protégée, Benji (Ronan). But it proves more difficult than anticipated as Houdini's protective manager (Spall) does everything in his power to get rid of her. Hyped to be the next Prestige, the fact that this film is being screened in so few Irish cinemas suggests that it's likely to be a long way off.

Review by Jenny Mulligan