Death Defying Acts, a fictionalized love story involving Harry Houdini, could be a sweet little discovery if only the relationship at the core of it were more convincing.
Comment
07/11/08
Death Defying Acts (2008)
46
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:37
Fresh:17
Rotten:20
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: Pretty but dull, with unconvincing turns from Zeta-Jones and Pearce. If you want a period magician movie, seek out The Prestige or The Illusionist instead.
Theatrical Release:Jul 11, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Celebrated director Gillian Armstrong (MY BRILLIANT CAREER, LITTLE WOMEN) helms this film about Harry Houdini's romance with a con woman. In his attempts to contact his dead mother, the magician... [More]
Starring: Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Timothy Spall, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Gillian Armstrong
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Reviews for Death Defying Acts
It’s pretty but dull, with Pearce and Zeta-Jones never convincing as supposedly hot-for-each other rivals.
08/08/08
A watchable, enjoyable but fairly forgettable film, Death Defying Acts has plenty of smoke and mirrors and not quite enough magic.
08/08/08
So corny and old-fashioned that only diehard romantics are likely to consider it magical.
09/22/07
Much of the story is smoke and mirrors in terms of fact, but this is pitched more at romance fans than Houdini addicts.
06/30/08
Director Gilliam Anderson doesn't distinguish this generic romance from a thousand other costumed bodice rippers -- is a kinky handcuff scene too much to ask?
07/18/08
...a decidedly minor addition to the résumé of Australian director Gillian Armstrong...The film moves quickly enough, and it's a passably glossy entertainment, but, as Houdini, Pearce is too young...
07/18/08
Despite the confused tone and underwhelming romance, this pretty little picture entertains in the main thanks to the intriguing subject matter and top turns from Zeta-Jones and Ronan.
08/08/08
A pleasant, frothy period confection that's as decorative and insubstantial as Zeta Jones's character.
08/08/08
It's a movie that seems to have been lavished with care and performed with gusto, yet its tale of fakery sounds its own knell: there's not a believable moment in it.
08/08/08
Perhaps the film isn't a grandiose statement of splintered lives, but it's an agreeable drama, best when it stays close to the decomposing heart of a professional liar.
07/24/08
Guy Pierce's performance is perhaps the worst researched role of the year, and Catherine Zeta-Jones never connects to her character's lower class milieu.
07/11/08
All a 'what if' movie needs to win me over are some lush costumes and production design, a smart casting choice or two, and a really ridiculous basic idea. Death Defying Acts obliges on all fronts.
07/11/08
All in all, it’s a bit of a snore that falls back on romance when all else fails.
08/08/08
Pearce’s boys-adventure take on the vaudeville legend is a hoot, though not nearly as laughable as the dialogue or Zeta-Jones’s pitiful attempts at basic emoting.
07/16/08
Anchored by Pearce's expectedly charismatic performance, the film generally comes off as a watchable yet entirely unexceptional effort...
10/16/07
In every technical department, the film is impeccable but at the core there’s something rather frustrating about it.
03/19/08
It’s all a touch undercooked and dull.
08/08/08
A cheap inventory of old-hat period romping that downplays Houdini's contempt for psychics while saddling him with corny mommy issues.
07/03/08
Zeta-Jones and Pearce don't have much chemistry, the script lacks any significant depth and the direction feels oddly uninspired.
07/11/08
Latest News for Death Defying Acts
December 04, 2008:
Report Warns UK Tax Credits Turning Off Co-Productions 
A new report claims that UK tax credits aren't sufficient to appeal to UK co-productions. The rules work well for UK films which are set in the UK but they aren't quite as... More...
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