I get rather emotional when watching this. A woman who has experienced, at least to her, something supremely profound and life-altering. Who are we to question her sense of wonder? The beauty of illusion is accepting the unreality and illogic of it all. To take away from that makes us less human.
But he was a rubbish actor. His is a jarring presence in the movies that Mamet ill-advisedly cast him in. Don't get me wrong, brilliant man and a unique magician but, no actor...
I wrote earlier tonight that Kostya Kimlat's Triumph was the best magic trick...I stand corrected. Ricky Jay producing the block of ice takes the cake.
She nailed it: artistry. Whether it's a poem, a paiting, a work of music, a film, or some one pulling off a masterful trick of deception for entertainment purposes.
Lol. It’s a character he was playing. He was playing the character of a real hustler / con artist back in the 1900’s. The sense of urgency, the hostile manner and the fast talk confuses the victim and it also becomes a sort of challenge. The victim feels that his ego has been threatened and so is more likely to accept Ricky’s bet, which is what Ricky wants anyways
You can see the first idiot, not really, he’s actually smart, he didn’t fall for the scam, but the hostility manner of Ricky and and anger pressured the victim to fall into his own trap and he eventually agreed to bet $20 as opposed to not getting anything. That’s what separates a great con man from a rookie my friend. He’ll forcefully drain you out of your money even if you’re aware of his scams
Ricky is incredible, but that woman becoming emotional is plain silly. It's obvious that the ice was a set up, prearranged with the restaurant and inserted on the table by the staff when she was distracted.
As a kid I had little interaction with magic (Christian parents) & growing up I thought Ricky was just some quirky actor dude. Then I discovered RU-vid. Lol. Flawless technique & the best patter Even knowing how his illusions work. It’s still a wonder to watch
