Magic did something I never thought possible; it elevated Anthony Hopkins beyond that of Silence of the Lambs.
Silence of the Lambs, Jim Carry, and Chicken Skin.
The Silence of the Lambs and I have an interesting relationship. Not only was it my first Psychological Thriller, but it was also the movie that introduced me to the acting abilities of Sir Anthony Hopkins. Funny enough, my introduction to this movie came from a very unusual source.
I, like most teenagers of the 90s, was a huge fan of Jim Carrey. And in 1996 he starred in the Dark Comedy The Cable Guy. I saw it by myself (my dad was working and my mom disliked Jim’s movies) and I remember not being that impressed with the movie. It was not like Ace Ventura or The Mask. This was something else and I didn’t quite understand it at the time. However there was one scene that stuck with me well after the credits rolled.
That scene is when Lloyd the Cable Guy is having dinner at Medieval Times. He peels the skin off his roasted chicken and spreads the skin across his face. In a deranged voice he says “Look, Silence…of…the Lambs.”
Now, being thirteen years old, I didn’t get the reference. However that didn’t stop me from recreating the joke months later.
You see, my parents took my brother and me to a very fancy restaurant; one that required us all to dress up in suits and ties. I ordered a chicken dish and when it arrived, I noticed that it had the skin still attached to it. I cut the skin off and, while channeling my inner Jim Carrey, held it up high while repeating the line from The Cable Guy. “The Silence…Of The Lambs!”
I do not remember how my father reacted, but I DO remember the look on my mom’s face. She practically dropped her fork onto the table. Oblivious to the reference but proud of her reaction, I repeated myself. “Look! Silence of the Lambs!”
My parents were quick to stop me although I did not understand why.
Throughout the entire dinner, I kept asking “What’s Silence of the Lambs? What’s wrong with Silence of the Lambs?” much to the embarrassment of my poor mother. She finally informed me that she would explain what it was once we finished dinner. My curiosity sated, I shut up and we finished our meal in peace.
When we got back to the car, I excitedly chirped; “So what is Silence of the Lambs?” to which my mother shouted back to me; “It’s about a man who EATS PEOPLE! And he cut a man’s face off and WORE IT LIKE A MASK!”
And that was my introduction to The Silence of the Lambs.
I did not get around to seeing the movie until four years later when I turned seventeen. I had just started getting into horror movies and saw The Silence of the Lambs at my local BlockBuster. Remembering the dinner incident, I decided to rent the movie and see what all the fuss was about.
I am happy to report that the movie lived up to its reputation. Even though the movie featured Anthony Hopkins for only sixteen minutes, those sixteen minutes left an everlasting imprint on my mind. I had never seen a movie like this before and it quickly became one of my all-time favorites. I not only became a fan of Anthony Hopkins but of the thriller genre as a whole. It opened the doors for such movies as The Machinist, In the Mouth of Madness, and Se7en.
Funny enough, I’ve haven’t watched Anthony’s other movies. The only others I’ve seen him star in are Hannibal, Red Dragon, and RED 2. It’s not as if I have been avoiding his work; I just never got around to it.
After all. His portrayal of Hannibal Lecter is widely considered to being his best performance. There cannot exist a movie that surpasses that role.
Right?
Wrong.
This brings us to Magic.
The Synopsis
Magic is a 1978 psychological thriller starring Anthony Hopkins as an inspiring entertainer named Charles “Corky” Withers. After failing as a magician, Withers decides change things up by becoming a ventriloquist. He introduces the audience to his puppet (eerily enough modeled after Anthony himself), named Fats.
Fats is a foul-mouthed, crass little sonovabitch whose one-liners and quick wit proved to be an instant hit with audiences. So much so that Withers is offered his very own television show. But the contract requires Withers to take a medical examination – something that he refuses for fear of the doctors discovering his declining mental stability. You see, he has grown so dependent on Fats that he can no longer function without the dummy at his side. To avoid the examination, Withers decides to retreat to the Catskills where he grew up.
While in town Withers reunites with his high-school flame, Peggy Ann Snow (played by Ann-Margret). The two quickly bond over Withers’ ventriloquism and magic tricks. Fats, who Withers had brought along with him, is not pleased with this new arrangement. He begins to belittle, manipulate, and berate Withers; going as far as pushing Withers to attempt suicide.
With his grasp on reality slipping, Withers finds himself stuck between Fats’ influence and the love of his life. Will he be able to pry himself free from Fats and live happily ever after or will he continue his descent into insanity?
Magic Movie Review
Magic did something that I never thought possible; it elevated Anthony Hopkins’ beyond that of The Silence of the Lambs. This is not him portraying a charming psychopath who uses flowery language and sudden violence to manipulate and subdue his victims. This is him playing a simple man who is on the verge of a psychotic breakdown.
There are two specific scenes in the movie that stand out. The first involves Fats and Withers getting into a verbal argument. During this, Withers begs for Fats to leave him alone – that he would do anything Fats wants in exchange for his freedom. This leaves us with a scene where Anthony Hopkins is barking like a dog, rolling around on the floor, and pleading to an expressionless dummy.
It is uncomfortable to watch – almost voyeuristic as we, the audience, watch this man descend deeper and deeper into madness. This is only made better by Anthony’s dedication to the role. He is playing against a puppet, a piece of wood that is not animated like the puppets in Puppet Master or possessed as in Child’s Play. He is just screaming, ranting, raving at an inanimate object that, off-camera, continues to verbally abuse him.
The second scene involves a visit from Withers’ agent, Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith). Without spoiling too much, Greene visits Withers to check up on his mental state. He orders Withers to “Shut Fats Up for 5 minutes” – meaning that Withers is not allowed to speak through Fats whatsoever (A coping mechanism that Withers had developed throughout the movie). We watch as Anthony Hopkins begins squirm and sweat in his chair, constantly shifting his attention to the dummy. He tries to make small talk; tries to act normal but is unable to do so.
This would be intense on its own but when Withers begins to break down; that is when we finally see just how far he has fallen.
Whereas the previous scene is a show of madness, this is a scene of quiet desperation. Like a man addicted to smoking, Withers is unable to function without the use of Fats. I have never seen Anthony Hopkins’ act in such an undignified manner and it is frightening.
But the movie is so much more than these two specific scenes. It is a journey. One that keeps you engages from start to finish. And it is not just Anthony Hopkins that does a wonderful job but the other cast members as well.
Ann-Margret as the love interest is the perfect blend of sweet and sympathetic. We are torn between wanting her and Withers to get together and wanting her to discover the truth and run away.
Ben Greene wants desperately to help his long-time client and friend. And while he does not have a lot of screen time, we are still rooting for him. We want him to help Withers. We want Withers to be free of Fats’ control.
On the flip-side we have Peggy Ann’s husband Duke (Ed Lauter) who acts as our foil. Suspicious of Peggy’s involvement with Withers, Duke becomes an obstacle for not only Withers, but Fats as well.
I cannot believe that I had slept on this movie for so long. If I am being honest with you, I didn’t even know this movie existed until I found it while browsing through the movie app Tubi. I chose Magic on a whim and I cannot express how happy I am that I did. Not only has this movie become one of my all time favorites, but it has also elevated Anthony Hopkins’ acting ability in my eyes. Because of this, I will be making it a personal point to watch more of his older films.
I cannot recommend this movie enough. If you have time on your hands and are looking for a new thriller, please give Magic a chance. You will not be disappointed.
Magic is currently streaming on Tubi