Rough Magic (1995)  Jim Broadbent plays Doc Ansell   Also starring Bridget Fonda, Russell Crowe
	"In the world of magic, the hand is quicker than the eye and love is the wild card"

Plot Summery:  Set in the 1950s, Rough Magic tells the story of a pretty magician's assistant who goes to Mexico to escape her fiancé, a wealthy politician who is caught up in murder after an unexpected accident. She carries out the magician's final wish and searches for a Mayan shaman who will teach her to find the true magic within herself using ancient principles.  She is being trailed by a detective (Crowe) hired by her fiancé.  He joins her in the search for the Mayan shaman and falls in love with her.  When she finds the shaman, she drinks a potion which empowers her to work magic.  The potion has life-changing effects on her and her relationship with her companion.

Patrick's comments: Jim stars as Doc Ansell, an eccentric doctor in the business of devising and selling potions.  He persuades Myra Shumway (Fonda) to help him acquire a special potion with magical powers from the Mayan shaman.  He greedily promises it'll make them both very rich.  Jim's role in this film is very enjoyable (favourite line... "The dog's eaten the sausage!") and I'd recommend it as essential viewing for any Broadbent fan.  It's only available on Video and I'm not even sure if it's stocked in this country... try amazon.com.  

Jim Says:  "My theory on this film is that it's all in the genre of Tintin.  You've got this nutty English eccentric who's blown up on the shores of Mexico, but his role in the drama is pretty crucial because he's the catalyst that draws Myra into the world of Mayan magic and helps, in a bizarre kind of way, to lead this young Californian girl towards love and her final destiny.  He's also," adds Broadbent with a certain glee, "fairly ruthless, prepared to do anything for a bit of a profit. He's not a very ethical man."  

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