Rating: 
Summary: Russell Crowe is the reason to watch this odd film
Review: For some strange reason, only Bridget Fonda's name is mentioned in the listing, when Russell Crowe is the reason to buy this DVD. In a co-starring role, he brings attractive wounded dash to an odd film with mystical undertones. The movie is flawed, with an improbable story, but the interaction of the cool Fonda and macho Crowe, with the support of Jim Broadbent and Paul Rodgriguez, helps draw you in to a world populated by magicians and rogues.While the movie didn't meet with much success in the theater, it deserves a new life in the home movie library. Crowe is charming and humorous, and as always, rises above the material to fully flesh out his character, a war vet trying to make a go of detective work. Fonda is a confused magician's assistant on the lam. Together, they find their way to Mexico where snake oil salesman Jim Broadbent makes their acquaintance. The road trip leads them to a roadside encounter with Rodriguez, who is deliciously smarmy as an annoyed petrol station owner. The unlikely adventures, encounters and errors can be forgiven on re-viewing this film, and one can enjoy the interplay of character, some beautiful scenery and an actor[Crowe] who as always, is on top of his game and joy to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Magical
Review: I generally hate "chick flicks" but I love this one! It's reminiscent of Clark Gable's movies - a 1940's feel a la It Happened One Night. The plot is adorable, the dialogue is snappy, and the chemistry between Bridget Fonda and Russell Crowe really is magical. I willingly paid late fees on the rental before I had my own.
Rating: 
Summary: Run Away If You Love Good Movies
Review: I got Rough Magic through the Inter-Library Loan System. I can only grovel in relief I didn't pay money for it. This movie tells the story of Myra Shumway, played by Bridget Fonda, a magician's assistant who, through a series of events too boring to detail here, flees to Mexico with a roll of film containing a photo of a senatorial hopeful (her fiance) killing a man. (And don't ALL ultra-rich prospective senators choose shirttail poor, tough talking, thieving magician's assistants to marry?) Russell Crowe is Alex Ross (no relation to the famous comic book artist of the same name), a newspaper stringer detailed to find her. That bare description of plot sounds like it could actually make a decent romantic screwball comedy. Any idea can be well or poorly done, right? Unfortunately, Rough Magic goes straight for "poorly," not even stopping at "well." The script is trite, the pacing slow, the direction amateurish. Myra's surrogate father figure, her boss at the beginning of the movie, looks and acts like an overdone, overage, overweight Mandrake the Magician. Myra's soon to be ex-boyfriend, the wannabe senator, is a raving loonie who plans to have their marriage in a museum dedicated to his family's uranium business. No, I'm not kidding. When asked, "Why not a church?" he enthuses, "This is a church! A church of atomic science!" Myra herself is impossible to like, a compulsive thief with a smart mouth (as smart as this script can make it, anyway) who constantly lies to everyone around her - even when there's no logical reason to lie. Bridget Fonda once again proves her inability to turn in a decent job of acting. I hate to say that, it sounds meanspirited. I'm sure she's a very nice person in real life, but the God's honest truth is she's not much of an actress. Even Russell Crowe, my favorite actor, with a vein of talent deep and wide running through his soul, is unimpressive as Ross. His character is vague, unaffecting, and Russell endows him with a mushy, obviously fake New York accent. Or maybe it's Chicago. Hell, Boston. It's so inconstantly applied it's hard to tell. Almost as if, realizing he was involved in a piece of forgettable, poorly produced trash, Russell decided not even to try. There's zero romantic chemistry between the two main characters. Fonda and Crowe move - lethargically - through the motions of flirting and finding each other attractive. And it's not believable. Obviously the only reason this is happening, these two people are falling in love, is that the script requires it. After 30 minutes or so, I just couldn't hack it anymore and stopped the tape. The person who had Rough Magic before me also stopped it less - MUCH less - than halfway through. I know this because someone was not kind, they did not rewind. I did, of course - thus readying this piece of dreck for the next unsuspecting victim. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.
Rating:
Summary: Ridiculous plotless Magic
Review: I must admit that I saw this terrible movie based solely on the fact that some parts of it were shot in my home town. Yes, I'm mexican, and in the small town I live, we don't get to see much films shot, let alone foreign films with stars like Bridget fonda (back then none knew much about Crowe, one of my favorite actors nowadays). The point is that since the movie didn't have any publicity around here I didn't know anything about the story or so, thus, I had absolutely no expectations on the film except seeing my town in the movie. Actually I saw it on video, since it never came to theaters around here. My God! this movie was a shame! You feel shame when you see a movie as bad as this, specially because the way they portray Mexico. Well, actually that's only a minor grip, because in my opinion, the movie lacks a plot, the acting (even coming from Crowe and Bridget Fonda) is plain BAD, the editing, rythm, camera direction and direction in general, are abysmal. What happened whit this movie? This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The movie never feels in a "fantasy-like" set (or even magical one), although there are things like this really stupid scene where a guy is transformed into a sausage or something alike! what's with that? What's this? Sabrina the Teenage Witch? There it would fit, here just feels like "oh, that's... huh... yeah... funny?... weird? what was this movie again?". If you want to give it a shot rent it first, please, before buying it! ...
Rating:
Summary: Don't let the title fool you.
Review: I ran across this movie on cable and was pleasantly surprised. The plot is a little loose and out of the ordinary, but it kept me interested the whole way through. Russell Crowe is his usual talented self, as well as Bridget Fonda. The two have good chemistry with each other, which helps make this far out plot seem not so far out. It even ends with a little morality to ponder over. Definately a feel good movie if you're looking for it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Rough At All
Review: I recently purchased this amusing movie. As a big Russell Crowe fan he has yet to disappoint me in anything he is involved in. The scenery in this flick was beautiful. The chemistry between Fonda and Crowe was magical. I loved the old cars, clothes and the dog. These two thespians are great comedians as well as actors. Just sit back and enjoy the movie, don't look for anything deeper. This is a movie I will watch over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Why I taped this movie.
Review: I taped this movie for one reason: Russell Crowe. Not only can he act, he's my age & he's gorgeous. Bridget Fonda, yet another waste of time actress. I guess the talent in the Fonda family stopped with Jane.
Rating:
Summary: Rough Magic
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I, too, stumbled across it one day on cable and was captivated by it's oddity. I saw it before Crowe became so well known and I can remember wondering why I had never seen him before and thinking how talented he was. I'm hoping it will be released on DVD so I can buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: 2 1/2 ******
Review: I've tried 3 times to give this movie a chance to get it's point across. It doesn't. As in most films Russell Crowe is in, he gives his all, but the story is pretty convoluted and doesn't give you much to care about. It gets pretty stupid towards the end. We kind of understood the owl showing up but never could understand the green lizard. The saving grace is the scene between Alec and Myra in the church and of course, somehow, Russell winds up dancing with his leading lady, something that happened in several of his earlier films. In the beginning of the film Russell and Bridget are very Bogart & Bacall and the banter flows pretty well, even if we have heard it before. If you have the need to see Mr. Crowe there are better films to choose from. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Quirky and weird at times... but interesting.
Review: In fact sometimes it is quite distasteful and bizarre. The two leads are good, but the pseudo-mystical overtones basically drown the story. Ambition got the best of this attempt at something that might have been profound had it been more simply said.
If you are fond of Russell Crowe, Bridget Fonda or Paul Rodriguez it will be worth your time. Maybe.
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