An Honest Liar (2014)

I found this to be an interesting move/documentary into the life and work of James Randi - I had no idea before this that he had quite an accomplished past as a performer himself.Having watched several presentations in which he debunks countless (fake) psychic/mystic charlatans; I was interested to see a little deeper into his life.Yes, a considerable portion of the movie is given to his personal relationship, but it's also revealed where his passion for exposing 'frauds' comes from. Yes... it's a little wishy/washy here and there - but so is the world of deception.Knowing and seeing how far people are willing to go for 'cures' and a better quality of life has always intrigued me; and I feel it's only right that the people who can 'claim' to grant and provide such wishes are exposed. You can only admire that the man claiming such things to be 'fake', seems to back up his claims by explaining how they're done to the people who matter. Whilst not all of this was shown here, he obviously ruffled enough feathers to hopefully allow people to see what really may be going on behind the scenes.All-in-all... a good watch.8/10

I can honestly say that I love magic. No, not the hoodoo spooky stuff where people do incantations but the entertaining style of magic with card tricks and floating women. Doug Henning and David Copperfield style magic. And one of the most legendary performers of magic has been the Amazing Randi. Not only has he performed with amazing skill he's also taken the task of exposing film flam man and con artists who would prey on the innocent and gullible. This makes him a hero in my book.The title of this film involves a play on words of sort. We're told that magicians are actually liars to the nth degree but that unlike those who prey on people they are up front about it. They tell the audience in advance I'm going to lie to you and make you believe I have powers that don't exist when in fact I'm playing a trick on you. But there is something else to James Randi that many never knew about that made him an honest liar of a different sort. It wasn't something he quite hid but it wasn't something he talked about either. It was the fact that he was gay.But the movie doesn't focus solely on that. Instead it covers the life of this amazing magician from early no through his rise as a performer of note, appearing numerous times on programs like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He appeared on stages around the world. And at the height of his fame he stepped back and began a crusade to stop people from abusing tricks and skulduggery to harm folks into believing they could actually perform miracles they could not.The biggest scam he uncovered (and one I'd heard of prior to seeing this film) was a television minister who claimed her could heal the sick. This man would encourage people to toss away their prescribed medicines claiming they no longer needed them once he healed them. It turns out he was using an earpiece and the information he had on members of the audience was being fed to him by his wife in the back, information taken from cards people in the audience had filled out when they arrived. Randi exposed him for what he was and how he did what he was doing. Sadly for those who believe in the healing powers of faith it is charlatans like this that besmirch the name of those they claim to represent. Randi knew this and set out to shine a light on them.The movie not only talks about his life as a performer and debunker of false mystics, it talks about his life long relationship with his partner Jose Alves. This becomes another form of an open lie taking place as well. Having read about it before I wasn't stunned when it becomes known in the film just what that hidden piece of information is but I won't reveal it here for those unaware.What is nice about the topic of Randi's being gay in this film is that it doesn't turn it into a political stance. Their affection for one another is not something that they feel needs a huge display on film. You know by the end of the film just how much these two mean to one another and that's fine. Whether you agree or disagree with people who are gay doesn't make a difference in this film. It never becomes an issue. It is accepted and discussed and that's all there is to it.The work that Randi did in stopping charlatans who preyed on the weak was a noble effort. When he's gone I wonder who will be left to take up his cause. I'm hoping someone will do so, someone who has as much knowledge on the topic as he does. As for magicians there are always those who will amaze us with their abilities. Watching this film you witness just how great a magician he truly was/is and appreciate him for how amazing a performer he has been.You will also see that he has and always was an honest liar. He told us up front he planned on deceiving us. He did just that in more ways than one. And yet it never affected how we viewed him or how much we enjoyed what he was able to do. After watching this an appreciation for all he provided will be the end result.

This is an interesting biography about James Randi (a.k.a. 'The Amazing Randi') but it's also one that seems very muddled and confusing towards the end--such that I really wasn't sure WHAT the filmmaker intended with this movie. Most of the film is about Randi's crusade to expose charlatans who prey on people by using magic tricks and labeling them either psychic powers or powers from God. When talking about this, the film was at its best and the first 85% of the film makes SANE viewers admire and love Randi and his work. However, towards the end, Randi's partner gets in trouble with the law for identity theft. His reasons seemed understandable but instead of just leaving the story there, the filmmaker ODDLY chose to then include a bunch of interviews with Uri Geller--all of which was left unchallenged by Randi or his associates. Giving a questionable character like Geller this opportunity just seemed bizarre as well as ran counter to the spirit of the rest of the film. I didn't understand this at all and it completely confused the film--and seemed unnecessary and, perhaps, a bit underhanded. Overall, I say watch the film but just turn it off near the end or read up on Geller--he's certainly no saint!!

The title 'An Honest Liar' should honestly be the only thing that you read, before watching it. For those who won't do that, I will summarize the elements that make it my favorite documentary:-Nicely structured storytelling 'An Honest Liar' is long, but it has a calm yet captivating pace. Interviews are mixed up with enough found footage to prevent a talking-heads syndrome.-The turbulent life of RandiThis is a magician that can tell you his life's story for hours, without boring you.-Controversial chapters Randi has devoted his life to revealing the truth, but is hiding one in the meantime. This plot wraps around the story, and is told in a way that allows you to feel with the reason of this deception. For skeptics on the matter, this might broaden their horizon.-Scope of the plot The scope of 'An Honest Liar' is big, just as the life of Randi. It will probably touch some familiar subjects, from interesting angles (fi: Faith-healers). It even reached out of the borders of a documentary when the interviewer partakes in a lie himself, allowing you to consider the broad definition of deception.-It's educative nature There are several life-lessons told throughout the documentary. What it can teach the viewer is very subjective, but there are lessons about deception to be learned in there for most of us.-The atmosphere Interviews being held seated, but the camera work is varied enough, and settings capture the atmosphere of the interviews. This is most noticeable in one of the more emotional scenes near the end.-What I disliked The lack of action in the own footage. There is, for instance, a lawsuit going on at the time of recording, but the camera isn't in on the action. This didn't degrade much from my overall viewing pleasure, so I won't hesitate to grant 'An Honest Liar' 10 out of 10.