Magician, The

As lean, mean, ex-army hit-man Ray Shoesmith goes about his daily business, debating with his victims such burning questions as Wayne Carey's moral fibre, whether or not Clint Eastwood appeared in The Dirty Dozen and Commodores versus Ferraris, he is trailed by amateur filmmaker Max, who is making a fly-on-the-wall documentary to be released in the event of Ray's early death.

Max and his camera accompany Ray over several days as he warns off an erstwhile mate, kidnaps a drug dealer and even helps an ethically conflicted Max out with a little problem of his own. As Max and Ray carry out these hits, their unique working relationship unfolds, offering a candid perspective on the banal and darkly comic domain of underworld crime and creating a portrait of a man with a laid-back confidence and stomach-turning nonchalance.

Confident in its studied portrayal of a conflicted man with ribald opinions, The Magician is intensely dramatic yet perfectly balanced with just the right tone of observational humour. Scott Ryan, who wrote, directed and stars in The Magician, seduces us with a fresh and distinct comic edge. Destined for cult status, The Magician is viscerally edgy, dramatically convincing, character-driven and peppered with gut-wrenchingly witty dialogue.

DVD Extras:

• Feature audio commentary with writer/director/actor Scott Ryan, actor Ben Walker and producers Nash Edgerton and Michele Bennett
• Eight deleted scenes with optional audio commentary
• 'Magic tricks' visual FX featurette
• 'Magic happens' documentary unmasking Max
• excerpt from 'The Stash'
• theatrical trailer
• alternative trailer

Duration: 85 minutes