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Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries And Mentors Of Ricky Jay

DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY (Molly Bernstein, Alan Edelstein). 88 minutes. Opens Friday (July 5). For venues and times, see listings. Rating: NNNN


A master of patter and sleight of hand, Ricky Jay has made a career out of his sly, vaguely disreputable approach to card magic: he performs, he consults on film and theatre projects, he keeps the old legends alive for new generations of prestidigitators and sharps. You may remember him from several of David Mamet’s films, or as the weary narrator of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia.

It’s possible to be a huge fan of Jay without knowing the first thing about the man himself, which is why I was so intrigued when I heard about Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries And Mentors Of Ricky Jay.

Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein’s documentary is a cabinet of wonders. There are vintage clips of the magicians Jay grew up idolizing, like Al Flosso and Slydini, and those he actually got to know, like Dai Vernon.

In long interviews, Jay explains precisely why they were important and what he learned from these past masters. And there’s a priceless 1977 appearance on Dinah Shore And Friends in which fellow panelist Steve Martin tries to screw up one of Jay’s card tricks and Jay just rolls right on over him.

There’s very little about Jay himself – his choice, not the filmmakers’. Deceptive Practice tries to open him up, but he treats his life the way he treats his tricks: the audience gets to watch, but not to understand. We can only look on in amazement.

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