FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Death Defying Acts [DVD] [2008]

Death Defying Acts [DVD] [2008]
enlarge	Director: Gillian Armstrong Actors: Catherine Zeta Jones, Saoirse Ronan, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£15.99~~ Buy New: £5.25 as of 25/11/2009 16:38 GMT details You Save: £10.74 (67%) New (8) Used (3) from £3.50 Seller: stanzgames Rating: 4 reviews Sales Rank: 16369 Format: PAL Rating: Parental Guidance Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 92 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5060052413727 ASIN: B001D07Q3K Theatrical Release Date: 2008 Release Date: May 18, 2009 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: An Unusual Film Based Around Mediumship And Fraud May 27, 2009 Katrina-UK (Stockport, Cheshire, United Kingdom) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful Based on a true story, set in Edinburgh, Scotland, it is set in the last few months of the great escapologist and magician Harry Houdini's life. This is NOT a film focusing on his whole life story as a magician or focusing on his magic skills (if you want to see that kind of film see The Prestige or The Illusionist). br / br /This film is about how both a mother (a struggling psychic who is a fraud) and her 9 year old sidekick daughter see a competition advertised at the cinema offering £10,000 to anyone who can contact the dead and reveal the last words uttered by Houdini's dying mother. Houdini was a well known sceptic, however wanted to be proven wrong. The next stop on his world tour is Edinburgh, Scotland, and the mother and daughter team set out to out-con the great Houdini. Do they pull it off? Or do other distractions get in the way? br / br /Fantastic performances from Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta Jones. However Saoirse Ronan as her 9 year old daughter steals the show. Her acting is superb. Interesting movie to watch June 15, 2009 P. DATTA (Stockton on Tees, Teesside) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful Death Defying acts is an interesting and clever movie to watch. It is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. The story is based on true events. br / br /As title suggests, it is about magic, but the main focus though is about a con-artist mother who is a master fraud and the charming daughter. The announcement of a legendary musician Harry Houdini performing locally captures everyone's interest, but the daring magician has one challenge in the pipeline, which is to guess the last words to the dying mother and win a large sum of money, Obviously, this challenge requires considerable psychic powers , but can the mischievous duo win the jackpot and con the magician or do they realise their wrongdoings by calling it quits. That is the general gist of the movie. br / br /The cinemagraphy is superb and matches really well with the tonne and atmosphere of the movie. I like the 1920;s settings of Edinburgh. The character are brought to life with superb acting from Catherine Zeta Jones and Guy Pearce. Saoirse Ronan the young girl show lot of potential as an actress. Overall, I really like these types of movie, as it you gain historical insight into the world of magic. The movie is interesting and cleverly done. br / Really Good, Enjoyed It. May 23, 2009 Ms. J. F. Gilby (bexhill, uk) I wanted to see this when it came out but due to it not coming at my local cinema, I waited until I rented it and watched it last night. The story begins with Benji (Saoirse Ronan) telling you the story of how her life along with her mother Mary (Catherine Zeta Jones) changed for better and worse when the great Harry Houndii (Guy Pearce) arrives in Scotland wanting someone to know the final words that his mother told him when she was dying. Harry and Mary meet and soon very much fall in love only to end in a tragic twist. I really liked this, enjoyable and you would be sucked into the magic. Like the Prestiage which was a excellent movie, it has some great pefomances from Pearce, Jones, Ronan and Timothy Spaull which adds the four stars in this review. I highly recommend you see this, it's a entertaining 90 minutes and it's worth seeing. where's the magic June 30, 2009 G. Hill (Sydney, Australia) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful While not a bad film, this is really nothing to get too enthusiastic about. It looks good and there are some nice performances, for me Timothy Spall's is the best out of the leading cast members. But for me there was something missing. I didn't feel engaged in the story at any point. I needed more about the main characters, especially that played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. She seemed to jump from one attitude to the next within seconds and virtually without explanation. Some more development of her, and the other characters would have helped me. Also I wanted to know more about Houdini. What could have been an interesting biography of this period of his life, it barely skims the surface. br / br /Once the movie had finished on its inevitable sad note, I was entirely apathetic towards the finale. And that really summarises my opinion of this movie. 2.5 stars for me.

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