An Honest Liar

Directors: Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein

James Randi, A.K.A. The Amazing Randi, has spent much of his life as a magician; either as an entertainer or, as he's applied his art for the past 40 years, as a debunker of paranormal claims and one who exposes charlatans who would deceive the credulous for profit. He is also a proponent of science and reason and has earned a considerable degree of fame as a indefatigable crusader for critical thinking as well as the enmity of those who have been unmasked by his saber-sharp scrutiny.

In directors Tyler Meason and Justin Weinstein's new bio-documentary An Honest Liar, Randi's life and career bear close examination. Comments from magician peers, such as Penn and Teller, mingle with personal interviews and footage from T.V. appearances to create an engaging portrait of a man whose dedication to his craft has lead him down some dark paths. But the film isn't merely a biopic, it is also a study of deception in its many guises and how everyone; including Randi, is susceptible to it in some form or another.

From his early years in Toronto, we learn Randi abandoned school to join the circus in hopes of applying his burgeoning fascination with Harry Houdini, mind-reading and magic into a nascent career. Honing his craft, Randi earned considerable fame as a magician; making appearances on American T.V. and venues around the world. Though he retired from performing in his 50s', Randi found another useful application for his craft: exposing tricksters and frauds who claim to possess psychic, healing or channeling powers. In his own words, Randi partially explains the powerful effect his early fortune-telling had on audiences when he recalls being accosted by people on the street who offered to pay him for his alleged knowledge of the future. The fact that one would confuse his show-tricks for genuine soothsaying made him aware of the frightening, exploitative possibilities of his craft.

And so began the Amazing Randi's crusade to expose paranormal con-artists. We see footage of Uri Geller, the Israeli, self-proclaimed telepath and psychokineticist who duped millions into believing he could bend spoons with his mind. Knowing Gellar was to make an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Randi acted as a consultant to the show's prop handlers on how to set up a test to thwart Gellar's trickery. Not only was Geller not able to perform, he didn't even make an attempt; claiming to Carson and a national audience that he "wasn't feeling it." Thinking Gellar was finished as a paranormal flim-flammer, Randi was dismayed to find the incident had little effect on his career. But Randi never gave up; seeking other opportunities in T.V. appearances and books to expose him. Another absorbing sequence in the film involves an elaborate plan to expose the faith healer Peter Popoff, who employed forceful means to convince audiences his curative powers were divinely bestowed. He also employed a devious and nearly imperceptible technical trick to make them believe he knew their ailments beforehand.

It's unusual to see Alice Cooper make an appearance in the film but the rock star explains how he consulted Randi to devise optical tricks for his concerts, including being guillotined on-stage.

Randi's partner, the Venezuelan artist Jose Alvarez/Deyvi Pena is another talking head, as he discusses how he collaborated with Randi to expose channelers.

In a poignant, ironic shift in the film, we learn Alvarez's identity wasn't exactly on the up and up. Though the audience is shocked by the revelation, Randi insists he was always aware. Nevertheless, it is quite fascinating that a film about a man who makes his living exposing deception would be with a man who deceived the authorities.

To Measom and Weinstein's credit, the directors include interviews with Randi's nemesis; Gellar himself, who remains unapologetic about duping the public and who still insists his powers are genuine.

The film also addresses the burning question about why and how people allow themselves to be deceived. Many of those interviewed weigh in on the subject but one of the most compelling points-of-view comes from a former associate of Randi who says (paraphrased) "It isn't that people want to believe, they need to."

I already knew much about Randi's career (and have been a fan for a long time) but the film still proved to be very entertaining and enlightening. There was much I didn't know about his personal life that I found intriguing, particularly his relationship with Alvarez/Pena, a pairing that seems unlikely until we learn something of the Venezuelan's life.

And what about Randi's continuing crusade; which carries an offer of one million dollars to anyone who can prove they possess paranormal powers? Though dismissed by some as being self-righteous and smug, others believe (including many in the film) him to be a knight of logic and reason. Is Randi guilty of trickery himself? As one magician explains in the film, unlike paranormal con-men who employ tricks to bilk the credulous, Randi uses his own to protect those same people. As aforementioned, the film inspires thought about deception and how we are all patsies in one way or another. After seeing the film I made a point to a friend that everyone is bamboozled by our so-called leaders, who more often than not prove to be bigger charlatans with fewer scruples than Gellar and the loathsome Peter Popoff.

An Honest Liar is certainly worth the time. If it isn't a masterful documentary, it is nevertheless an affective film.