DVD : Saturday At Reuben's

Rating: - A great film!
This is a gem of a documentary. The intimate portrait of this New York City world is unlike any documentary I've seen. The warmth with which it embraces all of its characters - from the young beginners to the seasoned older veterans - makes you feel as if you're actually in the back room of this Madison Avenue delicatessen, watching these magicians perform the feats in front of your very eyes.

While there are fantastic scenes of the magicians performing, the story focuses more on what role magic has played and continues to play in the characters' lives - stories ranging from the Great Depression and World War II to legal proceedings and Bar Mitzvah parties.

This isn't about the secrets and inner workings of the tricks themselves - the film, like the magicians, plays it close to the vest - but rather about the relationships among the magicians and the friendships that have endured. The film offers a warm and intimate look at a community that has gathered together every Saturday for decades - without fail - and where older magicians learn as much from the younger guys as the young do from the old. And the story, told through the perspective of a 15-year-old aspiring magician, is both surprising and inspiring.

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Rating: - Heartwarming
I have viewed and own this film. There are so many interests that a person can explore and this film gives the viewer an intimate and rewarding view of people with a passion with magic. More-over, it shows a community of people with the "seasoned" teaching the "new". It is a message that is universal and an essential element of what should be guiding all us all. Throughout the film, I felt that I was actually with these people, and hope for their happiness and success.