What I don't understand about Silver..

lol how is it forgivable or minor and that was just the tip of a very large ice berg of massive plot holes and mistakes!
it is not ok when films cost xx and the take xx time to make and xx people are involved for these types of glaring admissions to be kept in.

come on they watch the dailies um daily and they have a screenplay and often a book and a director and sometimes story boards and then a frken editor and sometimes a consistency mise en scene co-ordinator and often a continuity director and even then they have test screenings and all types of things to stop these obvious mistakes which we watch one, often not closely, often on s small screen, often drunk lol and we see it 100% of the time and actually go on imdb boards and point it out so no it is not ok and if it is then that is some messed up sh*t!

I was thinking Cillian's character caused the images too. I paused each frame in HOPING to recognize something that would have been 'from' his character in seeing in the movie.

I REALLY enjoyed the film...but I was focusing on De Niro's character and I thought at the end...he was going to end up being like his character from 'Angel Heart' - Louis Cyphre! (which I totally loved in that movie)

Glad he wasn't and turned out to be a fraud.

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But that still doesn't explain how Margaret's spoon got bent in her coffee??

The Polaroid trick has been used by many mentalists, although it isn't very practical anymore given how expensive it's become since Polaroid stopped manufacturing both the cameras and the film. I'm not entirely sure how the trick is done, although a small electrostatic charge or field can produce fogging effects and patches of light on Polaroid film. Maybe Silver had something in his watch, or hidden in his sleeve.

Regardless of exactly how he did it, the Paul Shackleton character was a complete boob who obviously cow-towed to Silver instead of thoroughly scrutinizing and searching every inch of him, including his watch (which Silver insisted not be altered). Shackleton was much more interested in proving paranormal phenomenon instead of disproving it via scientific process, so was easily duped, just like the multitude of believers prone to fall prey to people like Silver who take advantage of people's tendency (and inherent need) to believe instead of think.
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"I'm something new entirely. With my own set of rules. I'm Dexter. Boo."

Why would they use one of his people to do the experiment? The fact that they used someone he knew isn't that an unaccounted variable? They should have had someone random, even Buckley(Cillian) in the booth so that any tests cannot be skewed and those variables accounted. I agree with whoever said it just goes to show that Shackleton....was a nincompoop.

I actually enjoyed the movie.

That's true. They didn't need to prove he faked every test, if the aim was to get the public to stop believing in him Exposing one trick would cast considerable doubt on all of his abilities.

There would still be some die-hard fans, but overall public opinion of him would take a nosedive.

Same tactic used by lawyers in trials (or at least the legal thrillers I read). Create doubt over one relatively small detail and the jurors or public starts to question the story they've gotten.

Where on earth did you get that from??? Even Tom at the end said that Silver was a fraud.



"What was that, an exhibition?"

JayCeezy: I truly wish your explanation above was correct or even slightly accurate because it's intriguing, an excellent story and I actually like it. However, you were clearly distracted by something (or was it someONE, lol) while viewing this film, as ALL the supposed "facts" upon which your arguments have been constructed are False and were Clearly shown to be such, as clear definitive answers to these questions are given in the film.

Please do not take offense -- I honestly think that your version, however much it is at odds with the script/final cut of the film, is clever and entertaining....perhaps even superior....so again, I hope that I do not offend you in any way.

To correct the mistatements in your post:

1). SILVER COULD ALWAYS SEE. He was NEVER BLIND.

A. Silver's 1st ("present day") appearance onscreen (Clues #1 & #2):

#1: Silver refuses assistance normally required by the blind as he makes his way own the precarious & narrow aisle of the private jet by telling the pilot/copilot/steward/bodyguard (they never specify), "Don't touch me" or "Get your hands off me" (sorry that I cannot recall which he said, but the meaning and significance is identical).

#2: Immediately following the above, Silver is shown exiting the jet (1st passenger off -- no one to observe him), taking his black "Look-I'm-Blind-Sunglasses" OFF HIS FACE, LOOKING AROUND & REACTING to the VIEW/environment.

As others have said, the film gives away a good number of OBVIOUS clues Very early on, which is both disappointing and irritating. Personally, I kept hoping these "gimme's" were red herrings and more twists would materialize.


B. SILVER CAUGHT THE COIN BECAUSE HE COULD SEE IT. (Clue #3):

#3: Silver spoke the truth, giving himself away to the audience (us, not the fake tv set "Oprah Spoof Show" audience) when he told Fake Oprah (btw, his wife in real life, Grace Hightower) that he could ID the object she brought for him because, "the end of the spoon had been sticking out of her pocket for the last [# of] minutes". The tv hostess then plays it off by making a comment about Silver being such a "kid" [a juvenile tease, a jokester], but if you look at her face immediately after Silver's comment, she is clearly thinking, "You *SAW* THAT!", and then then STRUGGLES to regain her composure before she makes a joke of it & recovers (though barely). Clearly shaken, she resorts to the tried & true of television journalism 101: COS (Change of Subject) or Make a Joke -- she does Both.


2). SILVER DID NOT HAVE ANY PSYCHIC ABILITY THAT ALERTED HIM TO THE "Skeptic Booth/Control Room" AT THE THEATER.

A. Silver was ONLY alerted to Dr. Buckley's presence when Buckley flipped the POWER switch ON.

B. The fake psychic that Drs. Buckley & Matheson had outed previously TRAINED with SILVER and was his former CLOSE ASSOCIATE. The Control Booth used by the fake was next door to/shared a common wall with the doctors' equipment room. It was fairly obvious that either the fake mentalist, his "red light" henchman &/or Silver's blonde associate notified Silver of the location of the doctors' equipment room.

C. When Dr. Matheson & Co. surveilled the fake mentalist (the first time we see the control booth & its use), Dr. Matheson reacts so strongly to the obvious presence of the security detail surrounding/guarding her control booth, along with the equipment & its integrity within, that even the sleepiest viewer cannot help but take notice. She is clearly LIVID that SECURITY IS SO VERY NOTICEABLE and at first, the audience is left to wonder why (& probably thinking, "Who cares?!"). The reasons are revealed when Silver has his 'seeming moment of discovery': appearing as if he's blowing up the booth with his supposed telekinetic powers. NOT SO. In actuality, the security detail blew their cover during the mentalist's take-down and then...poof! No more security...the equipment is left unguarded, unmoved, unprotected. Vulnerable to Silver's nefarious, devious plans for trickery and deception of a guillible public.

D. SILVER &/or his associates SABOTAGED THE ROOM & EQUIPMENT. Silver was alerted when Dr. Buckley flipped the power switch. Then, just as he did during the final confrontation scene, Silver let the pyrotechnics FLY! The lights, power supplies & electronics were rigged to surge, blow and explode in an "AWE-INSPIRING DISPLAY"...exactly the kind of show-inspiring-belief that Silver is trying to induce in his audience with ALL his TRICKS--& I mean >>TRICKS!<< Although this clue needs a bit more logical deduction than the issue of the Sight-ENABLED Silver, it's still fairly straightforward & obvious.

E. The entire storyline with the fake mentalist is basic Exposition for the Clue/ANSWER to Silver's (VERY FRAUDULENT) "display of power" during the final confrontation with Buckley.....while, in sharp contrast, Buckley performs the exact REVERSE (opposite both in the event and the mechanism/method, meaning the source of his Power) by using REAL T.K. POWER to shut down Silver's PATHETIC display of FAKERY that required henchmen, accomplices, trickery & "NORMAL" EXPLAINABLE methods NOT related to any Powers, Abilities, Gifts, Phenomena, etc..


3). Buckley sums up the TRUTH/ANSWER of the film very well by lamenting in the end that he had been on a quest of sorts to find someone like himself....someone with REAL GIFTS, POWERS & ANOMOLIES.

A. This is what caused him to join Dr. Matheson (recall that she asked, "Why are you with me? where did you come from?", which was repeated at the end of the movie to remind us & drive this point home) as well as what drove him to seek out/be obssessed with Silver (as the film makes it clear that Silver was the ONLY "psychic-telekinetic" who had yet to be debunked after THIRTY YEARS).



Buckley states with defeat, "I thought I coud find someone like myself, I thought Silver was The One, but IT WAS ONLY ME ALL THE TIME--I WAS DOING IT, NOT HIM [Silver]" (my paraphrase).
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All that said....I truly enjoyed the film and even see possibilities for some additional twists &/or interpretations - without changing the very clear truth of my statements here:

1). An argument can be made for Buckley's Girlfriend to possess psychic/extrasensory capabilities, as well as having a psychic or t.k. connection to Buckley.

A. She picks out the "Red Lights" on her 1st try; she alone notices the synchronized watches & ID's Silver's accomplice, among other unusual abilities/examples in the film.


2). An argument can be made for Dr. Matheson to possess similar, or even greater, super-normal abilities.

A. She asks both Buckley, and later the student love interest, about the girl being too young....both ask Matheson, "Too young for what?", with Matheson 'getting' their answer w/out any verbal reply &/or non-verbal cues.

B. Matheson knew about the little girl slamming her closet door to scare her father into moving when there was NO OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE - not even to the PROVEN PSYCHIC Buckley - who was most likely distracted by the attractive (FAKE psychic) hairdresser - but still.......Matheson knew about the door, the girls wanting to move back to their hometown, etc., all without ANY of the clues, tools or 'tricks of the trade' that she used to 'out' the hairdresser and that she regularly taught in class.

C. These points are clearly "highlighted" for the viewing audience, making me more inclined to believe that Dr. Matheson's mantra of disbelief in ANY extraordinary power of the mind by ANY PERSON, might just be a case of 'thou protest too much' or plain old blindness/self denial. [Btw, there are more examples, the sheer number of which lends credence to the theory.]

It is an intriguing thought and perfectly in line with the theme/s of the film, the dialogue and the actions of the characters. Plus, Dr. Matheson's inability to see anything beyond ths life &/or know the mind/wishes of her son does not negate the possibility that she has extra sensory abilities-T.K. The trauma of her son's tragedy could easily create a block, as well as guilt and self-doubt, especially when related to her feeling/belief that she could've/should've done or noticed something that would have averted such a horrific outcome for her precious child...her only son.

Bottom line....intriguing film. I highly recommend it and look forward to watching it again.

Clearly JayCeezy really needs to believe in the possibility of psychic phenomena to the point they are mistaken when following the plot lines in a movie.

Here's what I don't understand. Nowhere in the movie did they say that Margaret died of a heart attack of any kind. We see her taking medication (though we don't know for what). In the news report, they say she died of "a rare vascular disorder," which could be anything. AVMs are also vascular disorders. It seems to me - especially having worked in the media and knowing that they write for the lowest common denominator - they would have called it a heart attack if that's what it was.

I don't think Silver had anything directly to do with Margaret's death. (See my post above.)

Also, I don't think he was really blind. I think he was wearing contacts to make it appear he was blind when he took off his glasses. Also, he could be legally blind, which doesn't mean he can't see. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are both legally blind. Trust me, when they take off their glasses you can tell, but once she made a comment about how I'd cut my hair. I was stunned. She could see that much when I was standing in front off her with my back to her, but clearly needed to use equipment for assisted living and is officially legally blind. They also go sight seeing while traveling. I thought that was unusual until I learned they could see outlines of things.

I think (for the purpose of the movie) that Tom was the one who wasn't accepting his role as a true psychic and ended up causing all of these strange events to occur. He could have been the one who called Margaret the day her spoon bent in her cup (no one touching it) to tell her the truth, but chickened out and his "energy" caused the spoon to bend.

And the tests done by the university showed that there was no significant data in all of the tests but the one where he and the other man used their watches to communicate. So, nothing significant except on the one test where he committed clear fraud. Silver was a fake and entertainer. Tom was the real thing.

"There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on." - Rod Serling

when i Saw Simon[Deniro]take off his sunglasses when he is sitting down his eyes are white like he was blind, but at the end when it shows him looking round you can see colour etc i obv know he was faking it but was he wearing contacts or something?