Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
What would you do if your child became invisible?
Usually when I come to review a film, I start by running through the synopsis until I reach a tangent on which I can go off and talk about the film more generally. This is not an approach that I feel I can take with Now You See Me, Now You Don’t (Most Látszom, Most Nem Látszom) because of the way the story slowly develops as the film progresses. And it is a superbly told story.
We’re introduced first to the overly protective mother (Dóra Létay) of the family, who is struggling with her son, Alex (Vitéz Ábrahám) who hasn’t spoken to her for days. Dad (Ernõ Fekete) isn’t much help either. He’s been working at the lab for the last few days, and when he does return home he’s remarkably distant.
Things take an unexpected turn, however, when Alex can no longer be seen.
At heart the story that slowly emerges here is quire a very simple one, albeit one with a very effective twist to it. But what really makes Now You See Me, Now You Don’t stand out is the genuinely chilling atmosphere in which writer/director Attila Szász manages to steep the whole film.
Visually, it is stunning. Every frame is beautifully shot and flawlessly captures both the mood of the scene and the emotional state of the characters involved. And, appealing to my own liking for surrealism, the film is packed with symbolism.
But this isn’t just a case of style for its own sake. The imagery and the score all combine perfectly with the exceptional performances of all three of the actors to really get inside their characters. The symbolism, too, is constrained very firmly by the need to either progress the story or to add depth to the characters. Even if the reason for an image isn’t immediately apparent, it will have become so by the time the credits roll.
Stunningly shot and strongly acted, Now You See Me, Now You Don’t is a genuinely moving ghost story and one of the most memorable films I’ve seen all year.
Saturday 08 Sep 2007 | Paul Pritchard | Drama
