American biopic Houdini is a two-part miniseries which originally aired on the History Channel. It tells the real-life rags-to-riches story of Harry Houdini (Adrien Brody), depicting his career (his time with the circus, and his roles as a magician, an escape artist, a secret agent and an actor), and exploring his marriage to Bess (Kristen Connolly), and his close bond with his mother (Eszter Ónodi), as well as his hate for and disbelief in spiritualists and psychics.
PROS
- An altogether enjoyable narrative, with a good sense of mystery revolving around Houdini’s tricks and a lot of warmth in his relationship with his mother.
- An excellent lead in Adrien Brody, who is well supported by Kristen Connolly and Eszter Ónodi, with whom he has good chemistry, while Evan Jones brings a great sense of wisdom to Jim (Houdini’s assistant and technician).
- Perfectly positioned close-ups and well-timed tracking shots explore the intricacies and depths of Houdini’s tricks in remarkable, intricate detail, while period authenticity is enhanced by the production and costume designs.
CONS
- Houdini’s life is better suited to a long-running series, as the narrative feels highly rushed and constrained by the miniseries runtime, into which too much is crammed, while Houdini’s work for MI5 lacks the required suspense.
- With so much (at times heavy-handed) focus on shows and spectacles, a number of supporting characters (particularly those linked to MI5) receive little characterisation and their performers get no chance to shine.
VERDICT: 6/10
Pete Kirkpatrick's Reviews 