The great escapologist Harry Houdini was an enigma, whose public persona was as carefully constructed as his complicated contraptions. Not surprisingly then, Gillian Armstrong's 'Death Defying Acts' is a fantastical concoction of fact and fiction which embellishes the legend, but says very little about the man.

And yet ? like Houdini?s audiences ? you will be willing to suspend belief for the duration of this thoroughly entertaining and polished performance.

The year is 1926 and Houdini (Guy Pearce) is wrapping up his 'Water Torture Cell' world tour in Edinburgh. A massive celebrity, he's greeted by throngs of cheering fans and reporters. Amongst the crowd are Mary McGarvie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan from 'Atonement') ? a pair of performing tricksters whose act involves communicating with 'spirits' of the dead.

Needless to say their interest is piqued when they discover that Houdini has offered a $10 000 reward for anyone who manages to communicate with his beloved dead mother and prove that they have done so by relaying her final words. As it turns out Houdini, determined to scientifically disprove the abilities of mediums, is a hard act to fool. But the girls have their own charms and secrets?

Narrated by the young Benji, the film delivers all the mystery and suspense that the legend of Houdini warrants, but bears little relation to history. Mary McGarvie may have existed, but the medium who Houdini famously 'exposed' was a Boston resident called Mina Crandon. Furthermore, the dashing figure Pearce cuts as Houdini is perhaps a little complimentary as the man was actually 58 in 1926.

Nevertheless, terrific performances by all of the leads (Ronan has substance rarely seen in child actors), sumptuous cinematography, adept direction and a few very funny lines ensure that the experience is riveting.