Magic (1978)
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter

While most of American learned who Anthony Hopkins was from his Oscar winning performance in Silence of the Lambs (1991), it was with this film that I became of aware of not only the actor, but just how talented he was. In fact, when this movie came out, the first night the trailer showed up on television, the networks had a ton of complaints from people that were terrified by it. As the poster states, this is a “terrifying love story”, and this just what it is, but brought to life by talented actors.

Hopkins plays Corky, a very shy magician that has a problem with crowds. The film starts with a performance that doesn’t go too well. From laughs and jabs from the audience, he just can’t seem to handle it and snaps back at them. Then we jump ahead a few years to see Corky back up on stage, and again getting heckled by someone in the audience. But this time, we discover that it is part of the act. His “partner” joins him on stage and is a ventriloquist dummy, named Fats. Now, with Fats taking the spotlight, everything works and Corky starts gaining recognition. In fact, his agent is planning on getting him a spot on late night television. Of course, there is some medical stuff Corky needs to go through, for insurance reasons and whatnot, which scares Corky enough that he skips town. He heads back to his small hometown, hoping to find his long lost love from school, that he was always too afraid to talk to.

Hopkins is so good here that even though this wooden dummy becomes not only a character in the film, he almost steals the scenes in some cases. But it is because of Hopkins’ performance that helps make Fats come alive. The way he acts with Fats, the way he talks and communicates with him as if he was a real person, makes it a real conversation between two people. This is the brilliance of Hopkins because Fats is really the one in control. Corky is on edge, a little whacked, nervous, not sure of what to do, while Fats is calm and smart, and very much in control. You actually start to feel sorry for Corky because you want him to succeed, and that he could break free of Fats. Then you remember that Corky is Fats, and the realize just how unbalanced Corky really is. Again, this is all because of Hopkins.

Corky’s childhood sweetheart is played by Ann-Margret, who has no clue how disturbed Corky is. As their romance starts to build, you really have a hope for Corky. But again, Fats will have none of that. Burgess Meredith plays Corky’s agent, looking a little like Hunter S. Thompson, gives us a great characterization of an old Hollywood agent. He even reminds his secretary that it was an actor that killed Lincoln! He may be small, but he takes no BS and has no problem going toe-to-toe with Hopkins. One of the best scenes in the movie is when he realizes Corky has a serious problem and confronts him with it. Pure dramatic cinema at its finest.

Directed flawlessly by Richard Attenborough, with the screenplay written by William Goldman based on his own novel, gives us a film that is filled with suspense and tension. Surrounded by a wonderful score by Jerry Goldsmith, who mimics the theme of the story with a soft dramatic love story type of score, but underlines it with something darker. Kind of like knowing how a magic trick works but watching it fall apart during the performance… slowly, but not being able to do anything about it. All that aside, it really comes down to watching Hopkins do his thing on screen. Everything else works on the side, from Margaret, Meredith, Ed Lauter as Margaret’s husband, letting Hopkins steal the show. He gives a character that draws us in, where we are hoping for the best for him, but deep down, knowing that he is so far gone that there is no coming back for him.