Death Defying Acts 2007
5.8 / 10
Death Defying Acts
On a tour of Britain in 1926, Harry Houdini enters into a passionate affair with a psychic out to con the famous magician.
On a tour of Britain in 1926, Harry Houdini enters into a passionate affair with a psychic out to con the famous magician.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 6 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Mary McGarvie
... Harry Houdini
... Sugarman
... Benji McGarvie
... Leith Romeo
... Leith Romeo's wife
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
Houdini Affairs of the Heart and Head. Death Defying Acts is directed by Gillian Armstrong and written by Tony Grisoni and Brian Ward. It stars Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Timothy Spall and Saoirse Ronan. Music is by Cezary Skubiszewski and cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos. Not a biopic of Harry Houdini, but an episode in his life, Death Defying Acts (a bum steer of a title) is lukewarm across the board. Story charts the years after the death of Houdini’s mother, where he travels to 1920s Edinburgh and falls in with Psychic Tricksters Mary (Jones) and Benji McGarvie (Ronan), a mother and daughter team who spy an opportunity to prise a cash reward offered by the great escapologist. What is intended to be a searching examination of Houdini, his mental fragility, hang-ups, strengths and etc, just plays out as a romantic period piece lacking vim and vigour. Pearce works hard as Houdini but never gets to grasp the tormented angle of the man, while Jones is miscast and not even her pretty face can light up a dull performance. Ronan is sprightly enough and Spall shows some emotive verve as Houdini’s concerned manager. The moments of trickery perk things up a bit, but even then the makers think it’s wise to debunk the mysticism. The romanticism of the era, and that of Houdini’s place in it, is well crafted onto the screen, but the flatness and confused thematic threads elsewhere leave this well below average. 4/10
Directors:
Release Date:
Sep 13, 2007 (Australia,United Kingdom,United States)
Run Time:
1hr 37`
MMPA Rating:
PG
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
Australia,United Kingdom,United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Death Defying Acts
Houdini Affairs of the Heart and Head. Death Defying Acts is directed by Gillian Armstrong and written by Tony Grisoni and Brian Ward. It stars Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Timothy Spall and Saoirse Ronan. Music is by Cezary Skubiszewski and cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos. Not a biopic of Harry Houdini, but an episode in his life, Death Defying Acts (a bum steer of a title) is lukewarm across the board. Story charts the years after the death of Houdini’s mother, where he travels to 1920s Edinburgh and falls in with Psychic Tricksters Mary (Jones) and Benji McGarvie (Ronan), a mother and daughter team who spy an opportunity to prise a cash reward offered by the great escapologist. What is intended to be a searching examination of Houdini, his mental fragility, hang-ups, strengths and etc, just plays out as a romantic period piece lacking vim and vigour. Pearce works hard as Houdini but never gets to grasp the tormented angle of the man, while Jones is miscast and not even her pretty face can light up a dull performance. Ronan is sprightly enough and Spall shows some emotive verve as Houdini’s concerned manager. The moments of trickery perk things up a bit, but even then the makers think it’s wise to debunk the mysticism. The romanticism of the era, and that of Houdini’s place in it, is well crafted onto the screen, but the flatness and confused thematic threads elsewhere leave this well below average. 4/10
Cast & Crew of
Death Defying Acts
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
Cast
... Mary McGarvie
... Harry Houdini
... Sugarman
... Benji McGarvie
... Leith Romeo
... Leith Romeo's wife
... Mr. Robertson
... Flower Stall Seller
... Oily Librarian
BM
Billy McColl... McTavish
JH
James Holmes... Ugly Mug
... Rose
... Ventriloquist
... Doctor
...
TC
Tom Cotcher...
CR
Carol Robb...
PG
Paul Grunert...
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Death Defying Acts
Videos ( 1)
Photos ( 6 )
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