The Magician

Film student Max (Massimiliano Andrighetto) persuades his neighbour Ray (Scott Ryan) to appear in a documentary, which can be released only after his death. Ray is a violent criminal and sometime assassin who patiently introduces Max to the rules and practicalities of his lifestyle. Meanwhile, the two men develop an increasingly potent bond.

We've seen the basic plot of this film before, in Man Bites Dog, but writer/director/actor Ryan does something quite different with it. Despite his professional viciousness, Ray is never portrayed as a psychopath.

Rather than getting drawn into the violence, Max remains a very ordinary guy and his fondness for Ray is based on human qualities, rather than the glamour of the forbidden. There's no poetry here in either script or direction, and this really works in the film's favour. Everything feels very real, very immediate, and all the more affecting for being so mundane. There is no glossy veneer, behind which viewers can hide from the violence, or from the moral questions it raises.

Made on a shoestring budget, The Magician is superbly edited to make the most of limited footage. The story is such that occasional blurred shots and moments where the viewer is literally left in the dark add to the atmosphere, rather than being detrimental. Some viewers, however, will find the jerky motion of the camera, hand-held almost all the way through, makes them feel seasick. Effective use is made of natural light and background noise, with Melbourne itself adding enormously to character of the film.

Whilst there is no sense of violence being glamorous, Ryan makes a charming and charismatic lead, connecting with Max and thus with the viewer on a personal level. His sentiments about modern life and the criminal underworld reveal a pragmatic, yet easy going man, gradually helping to make his own vulnerability a point of concern. Also, the story provides an insight into damaged lives, which exist in parallel with mainstream society. There are a number of amusing swipes at Tarantino films, although these are never made explicit.

Astutely balanced, sharp and often funny, this is the sort of debut that one hopes will herald a great career.