Tetrady not as good as all the hype

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Alan J. Jacobs I expected this to be about Randi's debunking of psychics and religious healers, but it was also about his much younger boyfriend (now husband), and his struggles to stay in the USA, despite having stolen someone else's identity. Very touching. How did I miss Randi's coming out (at age 81!)? I was a bit disappointed that it did not go into his debunking of religion in general, and it revealed none of the magic tricks--even as Randi is exposing someone like Uri Geller as merely a magician, not a psychic. Nonetheless, the documentary was riveting. An Honest Liar. The Amazing Randi (James Randi was also a great conversationalist--he had an all-night radio show on WOR-New York when I was a teen, competing with Long John Nebel and Brad Crandall.)

Tom Franse 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.

kyrat I only recently became aware of James Randi as a debunker of hoaxes. I decided to watch this documentary. I was really loving this and prepared to give it a 10.... until about an hour and a half, the point at which the director prods James Randi into saying something due to his fears of losing his life partner of 25 years. He asks the director not to include his last comments.If at that point, the scene had ended and it had still been included in the movie, I probably could have lived with the director's choice to include the scene.However, the interviewer twice assures him that it won't be used AND THEN USES IT. (justifying it at the end credits as saying James Randi had agreed to ALL interviews being used. Well yeah, at the time he signed that he wasn't aware his life partner might be deported). James says "if I thought any of this would be used. I'd end the film now". (If the film had ended at this point, I also would have been fine with that choice)Instead....The director answers "no no no no" to try and calm him while James says he is trusting the interviewer. The interviewer does try to point out that they had discussed using ALL interviews, but then instead of holding firm... when James Randi says "I want this last part to vanish"... interviewer says "OK UNDERSTOOD. NO WORRIES." Randi then says again, "I trust you or I wouldn't be doing this." Interviewer, "Thank you". If he truly believed it needed to be included he shouldn't have told James Randi he wouldn't!It's not like James Randi just admitted killing Kennedy or something that had to be revealed to the world, something that truly justified violating his trust. For shame. Hope the interviewer doesn't plan to ever request an interview from anyone ever again. He has no integrity.The film then includes some quotes about "cons for good" which I think was trying to justify the inclusion. But it's a false equivalency. Including James' comments is NOT on the level of exposing psychic Channelers duping people for money or pointing out flaws in the scientific study of parapsychology.

rhhdvh For me, this is a movie about a great professional magician, sadly spoiled by a secondary personal relationship plot line introduced about 1/2 way though. This action erases the early cinematic and plot perfection leaving the whole experience flawed. The movie started aimed at one outcome, but then switches to a different target. The switch comes across as contrived, sort of a mixed metaphor.The genre switches from comedy to tragedy, without an epic hero; the second half tragic protagonist is not Randi. The movie shot a lot of scene arrows, but at different targets, unnecessarily watering down the entire effort.I came away liking and profoundly respecting the art and science of James Randi, who is quite the magician in his own right and time, turned detective and debunker of charlatans. His personal life was artfully dealt with at first, then paraded like dirty laundry when it wasn't. Maybe the storyteller's intent was to debunk the debunker, but the magic of the reveal was lacking, not consequential, but incidental. Therefore, the original comedic genre became a tragedy without pity or fear.I recommend it for the first half alone, the part about the Amazing Randi, his acclaimed magic and debunking. Still, maybe walk out 1/2 way though when the protagonist shifts character unnecessarily in a spoiling way, turning a great wine of a movie sour.