Review of Magic in the Moonlight (2014) by Jeff B — 02 Jan 2015

Woody Allen's often charming period piece about illusionists boasts both Magic and Moonlight but sadly never at the same time. Like a sleight of hand you've figured out, his umpteenth comedy still proves entertaining even though a certain level of predictability puts the kibosh on some of the magic. Yes, you know where Magic in the Moonlight is headed but - the sumptuous trappings having grabbed you so much - you don't entirely care...entirely. Here, Allen displays the same starry eyed almost child-like adoration for Vaudeuville and Music Hall performing as hes shown for Broadway (Broadway Danny Rose, Bullets Over Broadway), the Golden Age of Radio (Radio Days), and classic H'Wood (Purple Rose of Cairo). Also, the southern France locales (continuing a European-set flavor beginning with 2005's Match Point) lend the 20s-set proceedings an invigorating splash of verve and color. Only the purposely unlikeable curmudgeonly lead ends up being just too, er, unlikeable for us to fall in love with and the all-too-expected outcome needs to get wrapped up one scene earlier.

In this PG-13-rated romantic comedy new to DVD, a famous English magician and debunker of spiritualists (Firth) gets brought to the Riviera to help unmask a possible swindle involving a psychic (Stone), only for personal and professional complications to ensue.

Colin Firth excels at many things and playing irascible ranks high among them. Here, he gets asked to dial his characters disagreeable nature to an 11 for so long, however, that it wears the audience down. No one falls in love with Grumpy unless theres more than just a smidgen of a softer side. Hell, even Jack Nicholson gets some prolonged good behavior during As Good as It Gets. Regardless, his stage persona and performance a true taste of 20s stage craft - proves endlessly entertaining. Likewise, Emma Stone rocks it as a clairvoyant little minx who may or may not be outfoxing everyone--Firth, perhaps, most of all. The climax proves charming at times, but the dust-up before it could've gone the way of, well, spiritualists.

Bottom line: Middling in Paris.