Review of Magic in the Moonlight (2014) by Manuel C — 10 Nov 2014

When it comes to explaining the unknown, in the perennial debate between 'science' and 'religion', it is often said that while the former is bold enough to say 'I don't know, but I will try to find out' the latter is too quick to conveniently end the argument by saying "I know, and the answer is God'.

But, what if the question was trickier and it read as 'Is there magic in life?'.

Woody Allen's 'Magic in the Moonlight (2014)', uses a little fable of a story (a light-hearted period tale set in the 1920's on the opulent French Riviera) to offer a bit of counsel to the former to be not too quick with the 'I know, there is none' answer.

With a charming and well-enacted script that's rather breezy, he incites rationalists to go on the high road one notch up, and enjoins them to be less condescending, strict, definite, and brusque with their disagreements, if only to 'live fuller, and let live more (as in subscribing more to 'to each their own')'. Of course, not all rationalists are as boorish as Colin Firth's character, Stanley, in the story, but that much cinematic license must given for the point to be made and for the resulting good laughs.

A decent supply of Wood Allen's clever lines and humor ('A close call often wakes one up', 'Poor humans..Even with a clean life of no crimes, they all are sentenced to death') and great acting by Colin Firth and Emma Stone, make this one as enjoyable as his other recent hits, such as Midnight in Paris (2011) and Blue Jasmine (2013), if not more sumptuous...Highly recommended!