听 After a BAFTA-winning run on TV, comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb hit the big screen in Magicians. With an accidental guillotining, a handful of fake poop and malicious urination, this tale of rival magicians should have been an outrageous laugh fest. However, fans of the double act found it "lacking something" and it didn't conjure up too much interest at the box office.
Lifting The Veil
According to Mitchell in the Making Of featurette, the transition from TV to film wasn't much of a culture shock except when he finally saw his face magnified to "the size of Mount Rushmore". Still, that doesn't seem to bother him for the beach scene where he urinates on his co-star's head, but then he does admit to relying on "a Hollywood knob". Meanwhile, Webb feels insecure about his ability to do coin tricks and seeks help from real-life magician Scott Penrose. It turns out the film's director, Andrew O'Connor, also knows a thing or two about pulling rabbits out of hats etc. He modestly tells us (about three or four times) that he was named Magician Of The Year at 18-years-old.
In case you're wondering why O'Connor gave up his magic wand, he says in the film commentary that he was kicked out of The Magic Circle for taking part in a TV show called The Secrets Of Magic Revealed. Later on, Webb reveals that he prepared for the role by growing a bushy goatee, which O'Connor found so offensive he had to make it disappear. The writers also contribute, explaining how the script evolved from a mockumentary portrayal of a magic contest to a more focused look at the relationship between Karl (Webb) and Harry (Mitchell).
Magic Moments
Take heed of Mitchell's warning in the opening few minutes of a long video diary: "If you're watching this, you're wasting your time!" Instead of getting a sneak peek of the duo at work, we're subjected to each man sitting alone in a dimly lit motel room, offloading their neuroses. "I don't know why I think this would be of interest," says Mitchell, "but I've got a camera and I'm therefore empowered." Thankfully, there's a superior power that comes in handy, remote form...
You might be tempted to hit the 'stop' button at various points during a 5-minute reel of deleted scenes. Short skits like Karl trying his mentalist act at a children's party (and getting pelted with chocolate custard) and Harry being mistaken for a beggar whilst performing street magic are only vaguely amusing.
It's a shame this DVD doesn't showcase the best of Mitchell and Webb - fans of Peep Show and That Mitchell And Webb Look might be surprised by how tame the comedy is. So, as David Blaine recently discovered, it's not worth holding your breath.
EXTRA FEATURES
Magicians DVD is released on Monday 17th September 2007.
