Year of Release: 2014
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Simon McBurney, Eileen Atkins, Hamish Linklater, Jacki Weaver, Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine McCormack, Erica Leerhsen, Jeremy Shamos
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Synopsis and Review:
Following the critical and commercial success of "Blue Jasmine", director Woody Allen quickly followed with his yearly output for 2014. "Magic in the Moonlight" takes place in the late 1920s, and follows the story of a famed illusionist by the name of Wei Ling Soo, who turns out to be an actual British man by the name of Stanley. Stanley is visited by a long time friend and fellow illusionist by the name of Howard, who poses a challenge for him. He wants Stanley to debunk a clairvoyant and mystic by the name of Sophie, who has been charming her way to the good graces of a rich American family in the Côte d'Azur. As Stanley meets Sophie he is soon impressed by her skills, but still with reservations, he takes her to meet his aunt, who lives nearby. After Sophie unveils some details of Aunt Vanessa's past, unknown to Stanley, he is finally convinced of her authenticity. As he opens up to newfound beliefs, Sophie expects that it also translates into some more heartfelt feelings towards her, which he quickly shoots down, much to her dismay. As an accident occurs with Aunt Vanessa, Stanley eventually uncovers what is the truth behind Sophie's powers.
If "Blue Jasmine" was indeed a revisiting of Tennessee Williams, with a dramatic, tragic and darkly funny narrative, featuring a masterful performance from Cate Blanchett, as well as the whole supporting cast, "Magic in the Moonlight" is a return to lighter fare for the director. It has some similarities with the tone of "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", in the sense that the central character is someone driven by logic and science, who is mystified by someone who defies all of those, and eventually someone who wins over his heart and emotions. It's a theme that has been approached by Woody Allen before, and in this particular case, it's a film that is exquisitely assembled with beautiful cinematography from Darius Khondji, and superlative production design from Anne Seibel, however for all its well oiled production, it's a film that fails to capture either irreverence, or for that matter, a sentiment of true magic and the nascent love between such different characters. It's a placidly built narrative, one that is pleasurable to look at, but also one that is easily forgettable. The cast features solid performances from Colin Firth, Simon McBurney and Eileen Atkins, though Emma Stone feels miscast as the possible con artist with a heart of gold. It's a minor feature in a lengthy career filled with great films.
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