Opus – Nefesch
$24.95
Mona Lisa version   http://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=57165
Vitruvian Man version  http://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=57166

The Hype:

The value of a coincidence depends on its degree of improbability!
A demonstration of intuition and impossible coincidences.

OPUS is a straight forward close up effect, where you will give to your spectator a visual proof of an impossible coincidence.

Four black backed cards are introduced, these cards are given to a spectator who is instructed to mix them freely without looking at the face of the cards; this gives him the chance to put those cards in any order out of 24 possibilities. (4!)
The spectator is now asked to decide the orientation of each card; having the chance to either turn some cards 180 degrees or not; he has now 16 more possibilities!
The spectator is now invited to freely select the position in which those cards are to be placed on the table to form a square; he is given more options and possibilities.
After all the decisions that the spectator has freely taken; and all the possibilities given; now it is time to turn the cards over.
When the black cards are turned over, the spectator realizes that out of all the possibilities that he had; he ended up with the only possibility that makes the 4 pieces shape perfectly the Mona Lisa puzzle that was printed on the face of the cards.

OPUS is also a PREDICTION effect. A Fifth card is included for you to use it as a prediction.

You don't need to carry or hide many outs. This fifth card is YOUR ONLY OUT. And it will ALWAYS BE A PERFECT ACCURATE PREDICTION.

My Take:

I happen to like effects that I can carry in my pocket. One problem I have is that they get worn out or wrinkled. I don’t see that happening with this. The cards are plastic and about the thickness of a credit card so they should last you a long time. I also like that two versions are available. I enjoy fine art so the Mona Lisa is just right for me. The other illustration is also by DaVinci and will be very familiar to fans of the DaVinci Code. The Vitruvian Man. The excellent quality of the props and the use of fine art gives this trick a step up in the class department.

Opus will take you a while to learn. Not because the sleights are difficult. There are only two used. Both are easy and are well taught in the downloadable video. You will have to get comfortable and fluent with the working of the actual trick. I would not go out and perform this until I could do it successfully without thinking. Once you do, you will have a reputation maker you can carry everywhere.

There are two versions of the trick included. In one, your spectator gets the cards aligned exactly right. In the second, the picture is scrambled when the cards are turned over. The prediction card is pulled out and the scrambled picture matches the spectator’s choice. Very nice touch that makes it even more deceptive. I would suggest carrying the cards in a Z-fold wallet with the four main cards in one side and the prediction card in the other. This will keep it hidden so it is only seen if you do the scrambled version.

I did have some concerns. In the demo video, Nefesch performs at an outside location and motorcycles keep going by and revving their engines. I found this distracting and would have reshot the video if it had been me. When the trick is explained, he uses the black backed cards and lays them face down on a black surface, which makes them very hard to see. He also spends the majority of the time explaining the main version where the picture is in the right alignment when turned over. I would have liked to have seen more work on the scrambled version. None of my concerns affect the trick and can easily be overlooked. You are given the information you need to successfully perform it.

Conclusion: This is a keeper. You get props that are both sturdy and attractive. Perfect for tossing into your pocket to carry around or for table-hopping. Virtually no reset is needed. The only caveat is to practice, practice, practice. Make sure you can perform this flawlessly before you take it out on the town.

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