The Magician

In this Australian mockumentary Scott Ryan writes, directs and stars in the lead role as Melbourne hitman Ray going about his gruesome daily business. The obvious technical limitations are a direct result of the reported $2,000 micro budget, but in this case the gritty style is a perfect match for the sometimes grisly content. Far from being simply a 'Man Bites Dog' rehash, this a less visually vicious piece and killer Ray's character is damn near likeable. Whilst there's little meat to the story, director Ryan's star turn does just enough to keep things ticking along nicely with his often hilarious discourses on subjects such as coprophilia. A low budget treat. [Colan Mehaffey]