This documentary is a biography and it is in roughly chronological order. I feel the need to mention that fact in response to some who say they think the film has distinct parts and is disjointed. But this is not a drama and it was not written to achieve a story-ending resolution.
I enjoyed the film very much. I was somewhat familiar with the work of The Amazing Randi (James Randi), but this film educated me regarding the extent of his work debunking hucksters and those who use deception to take from others, e.g. so-called psychics and faith healers.
He started as an accomplished magician whose role model was Houdini. Eventually he made it his mission to expose those who misused their talents to defraud. The film outlines the various charlatans he exposed and how he accomplished that. It also reveals how these men have fared over the years and what that might mean regarding human nature.
On a more personal level, Randi's life has had its own mysteries and dramas.
The filmmakers interviewed Penn Jillette and other practitioners of magic regarding his place in the history of the discipline and his efforts to save the public from hoaxsters.
In my opinion, Randi is a treasure who deserves a biography. His story documents the largest part of the modern-day struggle between those who dupe the public for their own gain and those who seek to protect the public from them.
I enjoyed the film very much. I was somewhat familiar with the work of The Amazing Randi (James Randi), but this film educated me regarding the extent of his work debunking hucksters and those who use deception to take from others, e.g. so-called psychics and faith healers.
He started as an accomplished magician whose role model was Houdini. Eventually he made it his mission to expose those who misused their talents to defraud. The film outlines the various charlatans he exposed and how he accomplished that. It also reveals how these men have fared over the years and what that might mean regarding human nature.
On a more personal level, Randi's life has had its own mysteries and dramas.
The filmmakers interviewed Penn Jillette and other practitioners of magic regarding his place in the history of the discipline and his efforts to save the public from hoaxsters.
In my opinion, Randi is a treasure who deserves a biography. His story documents the largest part of the modern-day struggle between those who dupe the public for their own gain and those who seek to protect the public from them.