Film Reviews

Magicians

• Rating:
• Director: Andrew O'Connor.
• Starring: Robert Webb, David Mitchell, Darren Boyd, Jessica Stevenson.
• Details: UK / 90mins (15A).

Magicians has to be the most boring comedy in a long time. There's not one laugh out loud gag in the whole show; instead, it glides along in 'quiet chuckle mode'. It's slow-moving affair that doesn't really go anywhere and takes its sweet time getting there, feeling a lot longer than the 90 minute running time. The plot centres around two magicians - Karl (Webb) and Harry (Mitchell) - who break up when Harry finds Karl sleeping with his wife. The act that night doesn't go too well, as Harry accidentally decapitates his wife. Fast forward three years and Karl is now a medium, managed by the hapless Otto (Boyd), while Harry is penniless having turned his back on his career. Both see a chance at a comeback when a magician's competition is held on the Isle of Wight, but can the boys put behind their differences and make a go of it? The jokes are too lazy and there's a lacklustre attitude throughout. It's hard to get mad with Magicians, as there's nothing offensive about it - but it looks like the writers (Peep Show) aren't trying here. Boyd is the best thing in it: it seems like some thought went into his character and his I'm-gay-but-not-really running joke is the standout.

Review by Gavin Burke