Magic in the Moonlight

It's amazing that at nearly 80 years old, Woody Allen can still put out a new film every year, and have it be completely different from the last.  Last year, he brought us Blue Jasmine, a heartbreaking drama with a fantastic lead performance from Cate Blanchett.  This year's film could not be more different.  Magic in the Moonlight is a light, frothy and silly romantic comedy that's a throwback to the kind they used to make in the 30s and 40s.  My only wish is that Allen had gone all the way with his tribute, and filmed the movie in black and white.

You can understand why he would want to make a movie like this after making a film like Jasmine, and while this is not Woody Allen at his best, it is still better than a lot of the stuff currently playing at your local theater.  He's not trying to change the world here.  He just wants you to smile and forget your troubles for 100 minutes, and he succeeds here.  Set in Europe in 1928, the film opens with a stage magician named Stanley (Colin Firth) performing his act for a captive audience.  Stanley's routine is to dress in full Asian make up and garb as Wei Ling Soo, and dazzle people with slight of hand and trickery.  Off stage, Stanley is a sarcastic and cynical man who does not believe in real magic.  In fact, he has made it a hobby to track down people who claim to be psychic, and expose them as the frauds that they are. 

After one of his performances, an old friend (Simon McBurney) approaches Stanley with a proposition - He asks Stanley to help him expose a woman who claims she can communicate with the dead named Sophie (Emma Stone).  Over the past few months, Sophie has convinced a wealthy old widow that she can speak with the old lady's departed husband.  The friend is convinced that Sophie is conning the entire family, but he has not yet been able to prove it, and he wants Stanley's expertise.  Stanley takes the challenge, and when he arrives at the lovely home of the family in the South of France, he is certain that he can expose Sophie as the fraud that she is in no time.  But when he finds that he cannot reveal her so easily, and that she even knows things about him and his family background that there is no way she should know, Stanley's entire view of the world is turned upside down.

What follows is a light romance where Stanley finds himself incredibly attracted not only to Sophie, but also to her view on the world, which clashes significantly with his tired and jaded views.  What ultimately makes Magic in the Moonlight work is the undeniable charm that both Firth and Stone bring to the roles, as well as the quiet and old fashioned romantic chemistry that they share.  Firth, in particular, is hilarious as the stuck up Stanley, who seems to view everything and everyone with a certain amount of suspicion.  He's the sort who, even though he is set to be married, doesn't seem to have a romantic bone in his body.  The best bits of both writing and acting are when Stanley is trying to admit his feelings for Sophie, and they come across as clumsy thoughts or veiled insults.  Watching Firth stumble over his words and thoughts is hilarious, as are Stone's reactions to what is the closest thing Stanley can come to for romantic words.

As for Stone, she seems right at home, not just in a lighthearted Woody Allen comedy, but in a throwback to the screwball romantic comedies of old.  She has great comic delivery, and even better chemistry in her scenes with Firth.  The first half of the film, where they are trading one liners and barbs, is when the performances and the characters they're playing is at its best.  The second half takes a little bit of a dip, and unfortunately, I can't really go into too much detail without revealing some major plot spoilers.  Let's just say that when Stanley begins to fall completely for Sophie's charms, the characters and the dialogue don't hold up quite as strong.  Fortunately, the third act fixes a lot of the middle portion's problems, and brings the characters back to where they belong.  Of the supporting cast, there really aren't any stand outs.  It's mainly up to Firth and Stone to carry the entire production, and fortunately, they are more than up to the challenge.

This is a delightful film, and one that made me smile pretty much the whole way through.  In fact, the only real problem I have is with the MPAA.  In their infinite wisdom, they have decided to give the film a PG-13, even though there is absolutely nothing offensive in its entire running time.  According to the rating, it is for "a suggestive comment and smoking".  I heard no suggestive comment that would give the film anything harder than a simple PG.    That this sweet movie shares the same rating as the hyper violent and stupid The Expendables 3 is mind boggling.

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