Quickie Review:
Stanley a.k.a. Wei Ling Soo (Colin Firth), is a renowned stage magician and a charlatan mystic debunker. He goes on to meet Sophie (Emma Stone) who claims to be a legitimate mystic. As a skeptic Stanley feels the need to unmask Sophie as a fraud, but in this process both of them build an unexpected romance. This is a movie that has lot of the Woody Allen whimsy we have come to love. A charming romantic comedy that is delightful to spend an afternoon on but ultimately lacks the impact to make it an instant Woody Allen classic.
Full Review:
Magic in the Moonlight has been largely unnoticed by majority of the general movie-going audience. Yet from the trailers it peeked my interest enough to get me to watch it in the cinema. I expected it to be a good time pass and it was exactly that. I left satisfied but I have the feeling that in time I will not remember much about this movie.
It's no surprise that Colin Firth and Emma Stone were the highlight. They have proved themselves time and time again that they are excellent actors, and they continue to be so in their roles. I especially liked the character Stanley, he is rude, obnoxious, narcissistic, basically everything that would make you hate the person in real life, and yet as Sophie puts it "it's not entirely unappealing." The character Sophie has all the opposite traits, which makes for some great banter between the two. Their chemistry together sprinkled with some light quirky comedic moments is what makes the movie work. Also I must say the use of the wonderful backdrop of 60s southern France is enchanting.
I'm trying to think of the negatives but I honestly can't think of any in particular. Then you may ask, why am I not giving this the perfect score? Well frankly put, I've seen it done better, not only in this genre but also from Woody Allen, for example the award-winning Midnight in Paris. So despite it being entertaining I think for the general audience they might find the movie quite forgettable. Even the die-hard Woody Allen fans will admit that this movie is quite light on the director's style.
So when it comes down to it would I recommend it to watch it in the cinemas? Only if you like Woody Allen movies. For everyone else I'd definitely recommend to give it a chance once it's released on DVD/Blu- ray or streaming services. It's worthwhile your time when you are aimlessly browsing the Netflix library.
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