Magicians: Life in the Impossible

"Magicians" is the best documentary on magic I have ever seen. Absolutely outstanding stories and production.

Wonderful film that I enjoyed very much!!! There is a lot to enjoy about this film. Beautiful cinematography, well edited and shot, they picked a four very well known and very different performers, from close up to stage performers. You get to see what it's really like to be truly dedicated to the art. The stories are each very interesting and varied. If you are wanting to see a lot of performances of magic, that's not the focus here. Yes, there is magic to be seen by some of the best magicians in the world. But the focus is on the performers as human beings and how they work to be successful in their profession as well as in their personal lives. If that storyline interests you, then this is a great film to watch. Hope you enjoy it

I just watched this for the very first time and found it intriguing and very worthy of purchase. A magical documentary filled with both humanity and humility deeply rooted in reality. A transparently revealing view of the sometimes extravagant and other times very humbling lives of a few professional magicians. A behind-the-curtains look of what it is actually like living and working in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles area and the emotional, ethical, financial, and professional challenges they face on a daily basis in their never ending pursuit of happiness. P.S. The documentaries The Magic Life and Our Magic also come highly recommended.

The film was a little average. I have to say that I did not like what I read in the news about Jan rouven. That really ruined it for me.

This is a fabulous film -- full of life, emotion, mystery and, yes, magic! Most of all, it's about humanity. The team behind "Hood the Coast: The Movie" heave created something so touching. This is a masterwork documentary and should be nominated for a 2017 Academy Award.

The new Magicians documentary finally rolls up the sleeves to show you exactly what is hidden there. The private lives of real magic-makers. Magicians is fun, funny, poignant, and revealing- in fact upsettingly blunt to some aficionados (as I overheard it at the premiere). But that is the greatest strength of the film: honesty. In recent years, documentaries as a genre have become polluted with fawning love letters to the subject, political propaganda, and sacrificing authenticity for drama. This is no love letter. What you get is an unflinching look at what it takes to be a professional magician. Highs and lows, glamour and glam-less. No smoke, just mirrors. The six magicians (making up four acts) profiled were well chosen. All stage magicians, but they could hardly be more different, and they occupy totally different magic niches. The contrasting situations and characters creates a wonderful harmony against the thematic melody that runs through each of their lives. Themes of internecine conflict, of arrogance vs humility, and glory vs mundanity. It is here, where the themes are used to seamlessly bridge disparate magicians, that the masterful skill of the film's creators (Marcie Hume and Christoph Baaden) is the most obvious. They say that half of a stage magician's performance is good storytelling. I can see why these six are great performers. They have a well of inspiration for great stories- their lives. Rating: 10/10 would conjure again. Also, it has some really f*cking awesome magic.

I really enjoyed one of the previous works of the producer of this documentary- Bridegroom; so when I heard he has made a new one I knew I had to see it. It depicts the lives of four magicians as they strive to be better in their craft and more importantly goes layers deep into the concepts of hope and dedication in the face of obstacles which is the real magic of this well-made and entertaining documentary.

Magicians: Life in the Impossible by Marcie Hume and Christoph Baaden is a wonderful film and easily the best documentary about magic I have ever seen. I was going to review it for Magic Magazine, but alas, the magazine disappeared a bit too soon. So as the movie gets its release on itunes and elsewhere this week, I had to say a couple things about it. I recommend this to magicians and non-magicians alike – it’s fun, charming, entertaining and fascinating. In some sense, it is not about magic at all -- it is a very personal and revealing peek into the lives of a handful of magicians. They are all terrific performers and fascinating characters, but I have to give special shout out to Jon Armstrong and Brian Gillis for an act of generosity and bravery in allowing us to see them at their most vulnerable. This has a huge impact on allowing us to root for them and join in their failures and triumphs. And huge props to directors Hume and Baaden for creating portraits that are very intimate without ever being awkward or exploitative – you can feel the directors’ love for their subjects in every scene. They’ve pulled off a remarkable trick of their own, allowing honest human stories to unfold naturally while managing to keep the pace moving and the stories engaging. They’ve distilled five years worth of filming into a remarkable whole where no story seems forced, yet every cut between stories seems meaningful. Beautifully shot and scored, this is the real deal.

This movie is excellent a really amazing view of the lives of three top magicians great life stories and great Editing great ending and beginning the magic thru out is really cool, I have already watched it twice.

A beautiful documentary about the lives of magicians. But it’s also a great story about what it’s like to make a living in the arts. I was struck by the struggle of these people to keep themselves relevant, to promote themselves, to keep believing in themselves, to hone their craft, and to try to find ways to make money while pursuing a passion.