Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay is a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor (often a mischievous presence in the films of David Mamet and Paul Thomas Anderson) -- and a performer who regularly provokes astonishment from even the most jaded audiences.

I was not familiar with the magic of Ricky Jay, though his face was known to me. Now I am more than a little impressed, as he seems to have the card tricks down -- especially the close-up sleight of hand that David Blaine brought to the streets. This is especially humorous when Steve Martin is shown losing a $50 bet (though he may have been in on it).

This is not a showcase of tricks as much as it is a brief story of Jay's life, which touches on his magician grandfather and those who influenced him. Magicians are a secretive lot, and rarely reveal their tricks... this makes it even more interesting to see their history and who was the mentor for who... there is a distinct line of descent.