"Now You See Me, Now You Don't" is a fantastic achievement from a technical standpoint. This is obvious from the opening frames. The camerawork is fantastic, populated with beautiful angles, and fluid movement. What's even more impressive than the movement is that every camera development seems completely logical. Every tracking shot has a beginning, and much like a good story, logically progress to a sensible conclusion. Never is style chosen for its own sake, which is a trap many filmmakers both experienced and not often fall into. The style is chosen as a compliment to the story, and when both the story and the style are as strong and complimentary as they are here, the end result is nothing short of remarkable.
“What would you do if your child became invisible?” is the tagline for the film, and realistically that's all I can mention without spoiling the film for you. I will say, however, that every minor aspect of the script is very well thought out. The dialogue is believable and well-executed by the actors, and by the time the film reaches its conclusion, there's enough emotional investment in these characters that we genuinely care about the outcome. That is an incredibly accomplished feat considering the film is only 30 minutes long.
And now for the proverbial money shot… As I can't really go into detail as to why the story behind "Now You See Me…" is so good, and I can't seem to heap enough praise on it, I don't want you to think this praise is unjustified. If I respected this film and its creators less than I do, I would be more inclined to reveal some of the intricacies of the plot, but the film is just too good, and I would be doing you a disservice as a potential viewer. What I can say is that this is a film which I can comfortably encourage everyone to see, and that is something I may never have been able to do in previous reviews. I do sincerely feel that this is a film that is so beautiful to watch unfold before your eyes that everyone should see it. Film students could learn a thing or two, even. In 30 minutes, "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" is a more emotionally affecting film than any short I've seen; more than any foreign film; and more than any full length Hollywood production. "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" is the most powerful film I've seen in quite a while, and is probably the best film I've seen this year.
