I must confess that:

1. I know many magicians.

2. I have performed mentalism.

3. I saw the Amazing Kreskin perform a scaled-down version of his show in a seedy,  off the Strip casino in Las Vegas.

4. I love John Malkovich.

But while my interest in the subject matter and lead actor may have enhanced my enjoyment of the film, you do not need to know anything about magic or Kreskin to appreciate the The Great Buck Howard. More cynical reviewers than I may say this film isn’t dark enough, but I think the filmmakers got it exactly right.

Writer/director Sean McGinly worked as a road manager for the Amazing Kreskin and based The Great Buck Howard on those experiences.  Kreskin got his break on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and, according to Kreskin, performed on the Tonight Show over eighty times.  Kreskin doesn’t state his age, but his website says he has amazed audiences with his combination of mind reading and hypnosis for over six decades.

The film begins as law school dropout Troy (Colin Hanks) tries to find his true career path and takes a job as tour manager for washed up mentalist Buck Howard (John Malkovich). At their first meeting, Buck and his agent Gil (card expert and David Mamet favorite Ricky Jay) explain to Troy that “magician” is a somewhat dirty word in Buck Howard’s world. “I was a magician when I was three,” Buck sneers.  Buck performs in sometimes full and sometimes half full houses in small towns all over America, as Troy does everything from stage managing the show to folding Buck Howard’s pants and tossing his salads.  Buck takes his show and himself extremely seriously, and likes to drop names of C list celebrities, bark orders at his staff and tell tales of his glory days in show business. Despite his waning career, the audiences seem to enjoy his somewhat cheesy shows. Troy both admires and is exasperated by Buck, and passes the time on the road with an affair with Buck’s publicist (Emily Blunt).  Just when it seems that Buck Howard’s long career is really over, an event causes him to be “hip” again and ripe for a comeback in Las Vegas. Troy and Buck eventually part ways, and Troy is a little wiser for the experience. And what happens to Buck? Well, I do not have the heart to spoil this film’s “magical” ending.

Unlike some recent magic movies (The Illusionist and The Prestige), The  Great Buck Howard does not come close to exposing any magic secrets.  Both the subject matter and the subject are treated with respect. The always fabulous John Malkovich imbues the egotistical and self involved Buck Howard with dignity and warmth.  Malkovich is dead on in the scenes where Buck Howard is performing. He is hilarious as he plays the piano and croons “What the World Needs Now” at each show and utters Kreskin’s catch phrase, “Isn’t that wild?” with abandon after each effect. Like Kreskin, Buck Howard ends each show with his trademark demonstration of finding his fee for the performance after it is hidden in the audience. Malkovich’s Buck Howard has such sincerity that I found myself rooting for him to find the money each time.   A few years ago, when I saw Kreskin perform in a half filled conference room at the Silverton casino (very similar to the venues in this film), I found myself rooting for him, as well.  He spent much of his show listing his credentials and talking about the celebrities for whom he performed. There was more talk than tricks, but what he did, he did well. And like Buck Howard, Kreskin was somehow extremely likable.

This film is filled with celebrity cameos that are lots of fun. And Debra Monk and Steve Zahn are screamingly funny in their roles as Buck Howard’s small town fans.  In fact, the only less than stellar performance in this film is the one given by Colin Hanks. While Hanks was wonderful in the television series Mad Men, and very good in his current run in the Broadway play 33 Variations, he simply doesn’t have the charisma or experience for a leading role (Daddy Tom is a producer and has a small role as Troy’s father, and may have had a hand in casting).  Colin Hanks is perfectly adequate in a role that a few years ago would have been played by Tobey Maguire, Topher Grace or Jason Biggs, but his performance is forgettable. However, this does not really hurt the film, as The Great Buck Howard truly belongs to John Malkovich.

I am not one to cry at magic tricks, but I found the final scene of the film (Buck performing his show) extremely moving. This film embraces the wonder of magic and the magic of not really knowing how these feats are accomplished. And what I found more magical than the effects was Buck Howard’s love of performing and his resiliency to, despite his age, competition from younger and hipper magicians and the changing world of show business. During the closing credits, the filmmakers thank the Amazing  Kreskin for being the inspiration for Buck Howard. While this portrait of a vain and fading mentalist is not always flattering, Kreskin appears not to mind. His website has links to articles about the film, and in a case of life imitating art, Kreskin is taking full advantage of publicity for the film. He is scheduled to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and has hosts of promotional appearances listed. Good for him.

The Great Buck Howard: Directed by Sean McGinly. With John Malkovich (Buck Howard), Colin Hanks (Troy), Emily Blunt (Valerie), Ricky Jay (Gil Bellamy), Steve Zahn and Debra Monk. Magnolia Pictures, 2009.

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

 

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