Featuring laidback hip narration by rapper Common, filmmaker Ted Wallach's documentary focuses on an unlikely magician subculture on the mean streets of Queens Blvd. in NYC (aka the “boulevard of broken bones”), where card tricks and the art of prestidigitation can not only mean a lucrative career as an entertainer but also a way to avoid the pull of gang violence, drugs, and petty street crime. Misdirection centers on two particular street magicians looking for a showbiz break who work at a local novelty shop while they hone their craft: Miles, who has to constantly battle mental health issues to make it through his act, and Devante, a former gang member turned performer. Although both Devante and Miles play to enthusiastic crowds on the street corners of Manhattan, they feel the pressure to take the next step, which means meetings with agents and going to auditions in Reno and Nashville, while enduring their fair share of frustrations and hard knocks. The film does a credible job of portraying the knife edge these young hopefuls live on, and how easily their dreams of making it into the professional ranks can get thrown off course. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)
Misdirection: Real Magic
(2014) 80 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 32, Issue 5
Misdirection: Real Magic
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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