SummaryWhat happens when documentary filmmakers, whose mission is to probe, explore and reveal, take as their subject one of the world's greatest living magicians, whose life and art are basically off limits to probing, exploration and revelation? More than a decade in the making, Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay is the captiva... Read More
Directed By:Molly Bernstein, Alan Edelstein
Deceptive Practices: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay
Metascore
Generally Favorable
79
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
100% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 16, 2013
90
This documentary provides an elegant, enthralling peek behind the curtain and into the you-won't-trust-your-eyes world of this celebrated contemporary conjurer.
Apr 16, 2013
80
The man himself has rarely been profiled without noticeable reluctance, though documentarians Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein delve fairly deep by allowing their subject to guide them where he may.
Apr 18, 2013
75
Whatever the unanswered mysteries of Jay’s personal life, just watching this magician’s hands at work with a deck of cards is positively mesmerizing.
Apr 18, 2013
75
After sitting at his elbow that day, I can tell you how he manages the tricks I saw really close-up. Not mysterious at all: It's magic, pure and simple.
Apr 17, 2013
75
This film is a documentary about the young man's devilment. He seems perfectly happy — ecstatic, even — seated at a table in front of a three-sided mirror and practicing card moves over and over and over again. As a kid, he learned moves from his grandfather. He moved away from home in his early teens.
Apr 14, 2013
63
It never bothers to attempt the one thing we'd expect and hope from a documentary about Ricky Jay: It doesn't try to bamboozle us.
User score
Generally Favorable
67% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Jun 8, 2013
5
Even if u don't recognize the name, his face may be familiar from his acting gigs in films and on TV. He's best known for his sleight of hand, primarily with playing cards. This doc outlines his career in magic, which started when he was a boy. That part's interesting and the tricks are truly amazing. The aspect that clutters it up is his detailed references to every obscure (at least for the uninitiated) magician that influenced him. There's nothing unique or creative about the film's approach, but if u wanna find out more about the man, this'll do the trick.
Production Company:
- Kino Lorber
Release Date:Apr 17, 2013
Duration:1 h 28 m
