Magic Magic (2013) Reviews

• Completely misunderstood masterpiece.

  eternitycomplex2013-08-23

  Perhaps this movie only works if you've known someone with the kind of debilitating paranoia that Alicia (Juno Temple) suffers from. I don't know. All I can say is that I was glued to it from start to finish and I honestly feel that it was masterfully crafted and offers so much more than most people are giving it credit for. I understand the backlash... it really is NOT a horror movie. But its not a showcase of intangible visual art-house dream-sequence garbage either, which is what I think people might imagine it to be when they read the synopsis. For me, it was never even the slightest bit boring. If you want to see how mundane situations can be brilliantly transformed into nightmarish experiences for one character, while other characters awkwardly try to deal with it (and often provoke it), eventually watching this dynamic grow to high levels of darkness and intensity, well then this is the movie for you! I wish more people could look a little deeper and appreciate the many layers and eccentricities of this movie! Like another reviewer mentioned, many of the scenes could be perceived as flat out hilarious. That is, if you can allow yourself to be simultaneously mortified and amused. This movie has the ability to provoke a wide array of CONTRASTING emotions. I've never seen anything quite like it. It's not a movie for everyone. But if you read this review and still want to watch it, you'll probably think its pretty neat.

• Not perfect, but an unusual and very interesting film

  Argemaluco2014-05-28

  Magic Magic is about a North American young woman who travels to Chile to spend some days with her cousin and her friends; however, what should have been a pleasant stay in the field becomes a constant source of anguish and desperation. What is that anguish due to? Are they hunted by a maniac murderer? Or a monster? Or might it be a supernatural presence? None of that. The anguish and desperation are due to the fact that the main character's hosts are stupid and absolutely hateful people, determined to take the worst possible decisions in order to alienate the newcomer, and make the cultural crash she experiences during her first trip outside the United States as difficult as possible. Even though that might sound like my experience with this movie was negative, the truth is quite the opposite, because I found Magic Magic an unusual and very interesting film. The performances are excellent, and director Sebastián Silva shows a solid dominion over the emotional aspect. The growing discomfort I suffered during this film is achieved with subtle details and an omnipresent oppression which is difficult to describe, and even more difficult to achieve. The actors make a perfect work in their roles, specially Juno Temple; I think that her performances in here and in Killer Joe prove the fact that she's one of the best contemporary actresses. In conclusion, Magic Magic disgusted me from the beginning to the end; but I don't say that as something negative, but as something which proves the talent from Silva and the cast to intentionally evoke emotions like that, something which is achieved with a relentless precision. This is obviously a difficult film to recommend, but I truly appreciate the fact that it provoked sensations on me I'm not accustomed to experience while watching a film.

• You don't know what it is? It's like Lars von Trier's Melancholia.

  sd-forum2014-08-07

  This movie is absolutely amazing and I don't understand all the negative reviews. Really? You didn't understand what this movie is about? Really? You were expecting a horror, fantastical movie? Let me make it easy for you. This movie is about depression. Being at a strange place. Not feeling belonging to a place. This is like Lars von Trier's Melancholia. Except this is much better and less boring than Lars von Trier's movie. I was planing on watching this movie in 2-3 sittings thinking it will be slow but this movie completely surprised me and I watched it from start to end. Juno Temple plays so well in this and I could completely understand her pain.

• A very dark movie

  cekadah2013-12-25

  Magic Magic is being pushed as a psychological thriller and horror ..... that is doing this movie a great injustice. From the very start we know Alicia has an emotional problem and that Sara has an ulterior motive to back out of the trip at the last minute. Just what Alicia's emotional problem is, the viewer does not know and why Sara backs out of the trip into the country side is not made clear. What is made clear is that Alicia is very depended on Sara ---- especially in this foreign country traveling with people Alicia has never met and going to a distant area of Chile. We do not know anything about theses peoples past so the viewer must go with what is presented to them for insight into their character. For me they came across as just young indulgent unexperienced youths. When they realize Alicia has a few problems they just ignore her issues because she will have to adjust on her own. Sara says she'll be there later and the broken line of communication among the youths will be mended. That doesn't happen. When the group realizes, too late, that Alicia has greater problems than they are capable to handle, what do they do, they give her pills because thats how modern society treats emotional problems. The problem intensifies with Alicia having taken too many pills and is easily confused .... or is she desperate to fit in with the group? We the viewer cannot tell either, we are equally confused as Alicia. When Sara finally does arrive Alicia has already crossed the line into a state of confusion but Sara cannot see it, at first. When the problem with Alicia becomes dangerous and threatening Alicia is taken to a local witch doctor who's only remedy is the use of ancient indigenous rituals which is useless to Alicia and all involved with her. This movie is more about the clash of ancient and modern cultural norms in treating someone with obvious medical needs. Here are a group of inexperienced youths raised in a modern world but facing a threatening and dangerous situation with only old world medical practice available to them. They find themselves caught between to conflicting worlds.

• Great little movie and interesting to see that people dont get it

  davidsaid2018-11-24

  That's mental health in a nutshell. The point of the film i believe is reflected in many of its audiences misinterpretation of the story. Basically if you haven't witnessed mental health issues in the first or second person its is very difficult to comprehend what is going on. Here in the west we are often shielded from the true horror of what people like to call madness and the way in which it can manifest and quickly take hold with just a few agitating events all happening at once. Young people naive to the early signs of a breakdown or the effects of psychosis will easily mistaken them for childish or attention seeking behaviour; where as in fact the person will be suffering from anything from acute anxiety and the loss of rational thinking, even hallucinating and showing paranoid delusion that will be easily lost and perplexing for their peers. So just like her colleagues, the audience who are watching the film can not interpret exactly what is going on with the girl if they have no prior experience or knowledge of mental health. She is not in a situation of horror but her mind has built one for her and in turn her actions and behaviour set the ball rolling for the others to witness horror too. 2 sides of the same coin. To the writers, actors and film makers bravo to you and i hope you can rest easy knowing that some of the bad reviews are an interesting interpretation of your film in reference to what i have mentioned, i myself think it was a fantastic, well handled and fascinating view of what many of us at some point on our lives will be faced with. Spoilers. - Her death seems to be the most mysterious element of the film but only in that it is left up to interpretation as to what happens. I would suggest a concoction of various prescription drugs plus the tea which she is fed during the ceremony the locals practice as well as the shock and possible pneumonia from jumping into the sea could have made her body shut down, a heart stop beating. Its what would be called a tragic accident brought on by people who with little to know knowledge of what they were confronted with doing only what they thought was best for the girl in the situation they were placed in.