No doubt this film will only add to the already long list of Hollywood-created misconceptions about Houdini. While every screenwriter has the right to invent, the problem you are bound to encounter when you start rewriting history is that eventually people start believing it. The most interesting, important, or character-building events of Houdini's life and career are changed, shifted around in time, or thrown out altogether in favor of giving precedence to completely invented scenes and situations. As entertainment, "Houdini" might appeal to some, but overall, it is simply too much of a fantasy to qualify as a true biopic. John Debney's electronic-heavy and unsettling score also adds to this slightly nightmarish atmosphere. To this end, there is an overabundance of frankly weird and slightly trippy effects: fast, jerky cuts, an intrusive voice-over that dominates the first half of the story, and a melodramatic, oft-repeated gut-punch every time something traumatic happens to Houdini that, through the help of CGI, goes so far as to show the muscles and organs themselves. While the screenplay leaves much to be desired, filled with more fiction than fact and inanely on-the-nose dialogue that never even tries to capture the cadence of the time-period, this could have been a fairly good film, if not for the filmmakers' preoccupation with giving every scene some psychological double-meaning. With a screenplay based on a 1976 book that sought to psychoanalyze the great magician rather than tell his story, this film is perhaps the most disrespectful and historically inaccurate attempt yet, and is not only an insult to Houdini himself, but also to anyone who knows anything about his life. To my dismay, "Houdini" follows the pattern set by the previous string of disappointing Houdini biopics, the most major sin being that invented situations are favored in place of actual fact. Like many fans of Harry Houdini, I wanted to view this with an open mind. In the end, it is true, Houdini was able to escape everything but his own ambition. Never liked the Curtis film but I did read Houdini's autobiography, so I empathize with the angry reviews in this list. (With Hatfields/McCoys, which I reviewed here, they nailed it AND were factually accurate to boot). If you bring no expectations to this film, it is entertaining, although truth be told I think the History Channel should set its standards a bit higher. Here he does the best he can with what he was given. In fact, Brody is one of those actors who seems to be merely tolerated by his audience during his actual career but, I suspect, will become a cult idol to nextgen viewers. That she can, speaks to the weakness of the script, and meandering self-indulgent arc that passes for a plot. The bad news is that, as interesting as Connolly is, she should really not be able to steal the entire film. I don't mean to make light of this, it is very unusual, and very effective. It is a good thing because over the course of the 2-parter you start to realize that the intensity comes not from the escapes, but rather from Connolly simultaneously delivering her dialog with that machine-gun rasp of hers, at the same time those extra-wide "cartoon" eyes pause for emphasis. From a biographical point of view you may want to look elsewhere. Overall: A series worth watching for entertainment. Adrien Brody is good enough as Harry Houdini and his narration, that you can hear throughout the episode, contributes to the dramatic tension that you may think that the show is lacking because of its very modern presentation. Also he wants to make his life count, so in this version he becomes an international spy who uses his performances in Germany and in Russia to gather intelligence before the first world war. Harry Houdini is presented as a bigger than life character who quickly becomes rich and famous with his wit and boldness. The music is a mix of classic instruments, heavy metal guitars and synthesizers and adds to the modern feel of the show. It even has some CSI-like visuals where you get to see how the muscles of the abdomen react to a direct punch and other similar graphics that usually appear in the CSI franchise. Quick editing, fancy graphics and lots of slow motion effects.
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