Adrien Brody
Kristen Connolly

Nicolas Meyer

Miniseries
2014
Biography, Drama, History
History

TV-14

The History Channel’s “Houdini,” a miniseries written by Nicholas Meyer and directed by Uli Edel, does what all capable biopics do: hire good actors, select hallmark events in the subject’s life to depict, tell a largely chronological story with flashbacks, provide a voice-over from the subject to fill-in the gaps, and create a credible representation of the time period. The events on display in “Houdini” take place during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It looks great.

While “Houdini” is capable, it’s not special. It doesn’t have enough spark to live up to its subject’s ability to captivate. As a result, a modern audience won’t be fully transported. We see how Houdini’s contemporaries reacted to him, but we don’t feel it. I think that more attention should’ve been paid to what motivated Houdini. We get a glimpse of it when this miniseries flashes back to his childhood, but it’s a cursory exploration. A lot of what motivates him is told to us instead of shown to us. I understand that the creators of this miniseries don’t want to go on for too long, but a deeper backstory would’ve allowed them to explore fewer of Houdini’s stunts with more power. The filmmakers have taken care to show those stunts in a believable way, but there’s only so much they can do to stun a modern audience. We’ve seen this kind of stuff before. There’s some charm to the escapes and tricks, but they seem a bit hollow at times.

We’re shown how Houdini escaped during almost all of the stunts on display in this miniseries, and that works both ways: It’s somewhat amusing to see his various methods of egress, but some of the magic is lost along the way. In fact, I enjoyed some of his magic tricks more than his escapes because it looked like magic; I didn’t know exactly how he accomplished the trick, or they showed the trick first and how it was accomplished afterward (that would have worked better for the escapes). Overall, though, the stunts are well-presented. So they’re not the problem; it’s the other stuff that’s truly lacking. …

Character development is vital to most film and TV genres, and the biopic is no exception. Actually, character development may be more important for biopics because most viewers will know something about the subject matter. So, the biopic must show viewers something new or delve deeper into the subject matter in a compelling way. That’s where this miniseries falls short. I really want to know this guy, but “Houdini” doesn’t deliver the goods. I get the facts without the substance. This is an important point, but it may be hard to discern because “Houdini” is a good miniseries. It could’ve been great, though. Adrien Brody could’ve done so much more with a more incisive script. It all just seems a bit generic. A sharper, more personal take would’ve done wonders. After all, we want to get to know the man behind the stunts. It’s all about a fully developed why. That would have given this “Houdini” some magic.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: houdini)

The two-night scripted miniseries HOUDINI follows the epic tales of Harry Houdini as he emerges as America’s first bonafide world-renowned superstar. From humble beginnings at circus sideshows to sold-out concert halls, Eastern European immigrant Ehrich Weiss rose to become a household name across the globe–Houdini. Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist) stars as The Great Harry Houdini as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Arthur Conan Doyle and Rasputin. A thrilling ride throughout Harry’s psyche, HOUDINI delves deep behind the curtain into his life through his stunts, his visions and his mastery of illusion. Joining Brody is Kristen Connolly (House of Cards, The Cabin in the Woods) as Bess Houdini, the love of Harry’s life and right hand when it came to some of his most amazing feats, and Evan Jones (A Million Ways to Die in the West, The Book of Eli, Gangster Squad) as Jim Collins, Harry’s assistant and confidant.