Rough Magic (1997)
After accidentally committing a crime, a magician's assistant flees to Mexico in search of a Mayan shaman and the magical potion she is rumoured to possess. But upon arrival she is trailed by a handsome private eye.
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Good concept, poorly executed.
A brilliant film that helped define a genre
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
"Rough Magic" is a little undiscovered gem. I came across it going through Russell Crowe's output and fell in love with it immediately. It was lighthearted, magical, elegant, whimsical, humorous, gently satirical, self mocking, yet meaningful all at once. But most of all it seemed to speak of something important in such an elusive way as to be completely incomprehensible. This is a hallmark of all mystical teachings; they seem to relate most mundane stories yet they keep calling you back for another look. It happens because the nagging feeling that you are missing something essential and of great importance doesn't leave you alone.Over the years I have watched "Rough Magic" enough times for it to loose its freshness, but that has not happened somehow. Each time i see it i am delighted anew by the vivid locale, its true to the period costumes and sets, its music that is just right at every turn, its good looking international cast that carries the movie's invisible agenda perfectly.
I saw this in the theatre and on video, and recommend it in the theatre, a better effect... as far as the movie, I loved it, really, thought it was great and would definitely see it again...acting was good, production design was good and the story kept me interested and wondering what was going to happen next... Q
The seeds of a good movie are there in "Rough Magic", a film with an excellent cast, an intriguing premise, and a great location. However, these seeds never really germinate, as the film fails to be convincing. As the movie progresses, the characters behave in an increasingly arbitrary manner while the events of the plot become similarly arbitrary. Thus, by the end, my willing suspension of disbelief was completely gone and I found myself bored. I think that the film was trying for the sort of magic realism found in movies like "Like Water for Chocolate", but the key to magic realism lies at least as much in the realism as it does in the magic. While "Like Water for Chocolate" worked because we believed in the characters, "Rough Magic" fails, despite some genuinely entertaining moments, because we don't.Overall Rating: 1 1/2 stars (out of 4), or 4 (out of 10)
Give this little movie a break. It can actually be funny at times. Don't expect something deep and meaningful, but there are worse ways you could spend an hour and 45 minutes out of your life. Besides, it's got Russell Crowe in it.