Magic in Moonlight
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden
Rated: PG-13 for brief suggestive comment, and smoking throughout
In the latter stages of his career, writer/director Woody Allen's films have been a complete mixed bag. Some of his films, such as the charming comedy Midnight in Paris, are wonderful. Others, such as his latest film Magic in Moonlight, are not. This film also takes place in France during the roaring twenties, but follows Stanley (Collin Firth), a jaded illusionist who is hired to unmask a spiritualist named Sophie, who can reveal the past and predict the future. As time goes by, and Stanley is not only unable to find a flaw in Sophie's magic, but he starts to fall for her, as well, sending his entire rationalist worldview and bachelor lifestyle into question.
The first problem with Magic is that it's simply a bad film. The script is poorly written, and the actors share absolutely no chemistry (maybe because Firth is nearly 30 years older than Stone?) However, the most upsetting aspect of Magic is it's heavy-handed philospohy yet lacks the rationalism that it boasts, to the point where one questions what Allen was trying to communicate; a story or a sermon? Without spoiling the film, Stanley realizes that the only true magic (or spirituality) in the world is love, and not some deity or spirituality. This glosses over the fact that this rationalism still can't answer basic human questions, such as "why is there something rather than nothing", as well as the fact that love often never sustains or truly satisfies, which is why so many people spend their life searching for it. In the end, Allen lacks any magic, as both his film and and worldview fall flat.
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