Title: Magic in the Moonlight
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Simon McBurney
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

What Is It?: Illusionist Wei Ling Soo (Firth) is one of the world’s leading magicians, as well as a dispeller of fraudulent mediums, psychics and other occultists types. When one is found out by Stanley’s (aka Wei Ling Soo) good friend and fellow illusionist Howard Burkan, he (Howard) calls up Stanley to help debunk Miss. Sophie Baker as a fraud. As things unfold Stanley cannot find any evidence of Sophie’s fraudulence and his begins to tranform his cynical heart, but could she really have these powers as Stanley now believes she does? Who knows you’ll have to find out!

What We Think?: After dealing with the whimsy of Midnight in Paris, and the dissolution of sanity in Blue Jasmine Woody tackles a mix of the two here. Firth plays Stanley as a sophisticant even too pompous for hese snobs, he’s an incorrigible jerk. Stone is loving but piffy in her nievity. As for Allen he takes the standard neuroses present in most of his films and superimposes it unto Firth’s character. He’s so uppity, and Stone’s Sophie so young and foolish they make a dynamic duo of cynicism and hope. The film features a wonderful soundtrack, a true piece of jazzy, breezy art, that when mixed with Allen’s eye for natural light in this gives the film a breath that carries it to a cloud-like oasis. Never was I bored with the dialogue, and the visual were crisp throughout. All of the period details made this standout from an artistic prespective. It’s a truly unique film in Allen’s filmography, but one that at it’s core is completely him.

Our Grade: B-, I don’t know why, but I believe this to be on par with Blue Jasmine from an enjoyability, but not quite as good as Midnight in Paris which I think is a top five Allen film of all time (but that debate can continue on Twitter…come at me bro!). Overall the fault in the film is the dialogue and the lack of real chemistry from Stone and Firth. The players play their parts but the problem is the ship itself needs “writing” ;). Regardless check it out on VOD, DVD, and of course Blu-Ray it’s out now!

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