Overview
Woody Allen’s talent for scouting the most picturesque panoramas to set his films is almost inhuman. The scenery in his latest, Magic in the Moonlight, is every bit as magnificent as his previous Eurocentric films, whose locations were scattered around Europe, including ‘Match Point’ in London, ‘Vicky Christina Barcelona’ in Spain and ‘Midnight in Paris’ in Paris. ‘Magic’ is largely set in the south of France, although we see fleeting glimpses of both Berlin and London, in the year 1928, an era preoccupied with magic, superstition and illusion, thus setting a viable backdrop for the storyline.
The story is nothing surprising nor unpredictable, following a professional illusionist, Stanley (Colin Firth) in his attempt to reveal the fraudulent ways of a medium, Sophie (Emma Stone). Stanley performs under the alias of a Chinese magician named Wei Ling Soo, but works to debunk self-professed mediums as a side job. His good friend and fellow illusionist Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney) asks him to investigate the mystery medium who is currently conducting a seance for widowed Mrs Catledge (Jacki Weaver) who has employed Sophie to contact her dead husband with the promise of subsequently donating a large sum of money to Sophie’s psychic research.
The actual plot is nothing special, with the sceptical Stanley being eventually won over by the psychic Sophie sue to her uncanny ability to relay information that only those closest to Stanley would know. In a storybook Woody Allen fashion, the majority of the film consists of long yet eloquent dialogue and lengthy shots of these conversations between the characters. He gets away with the lack of action relatively unharmed, however, mainly due to the star quality of the film and the prime performance of some of the world’s most beloved talent.
Firth undeniably takes the reigns of the film. Dominating the dialogue and inspiring a few laughs, although these laughs are more at the pompous, arrogance of his character than due to witty dialogue or successful gags. His character seems one dimensional, although this dimension is of adequate liveability and laugh-ability to carry the film through. Stone shines in her role as the whimsical and magical young beauty, although the two leads together don’t manage to conjure up enough chemistry to make their attraction a viable one.
The storyline of Magic in the Moonlight is easy to follow, and there are numerous giggles to be made at the expense of the protagonist, and Sophie’s other love interest Brice Catledge (Hamish Linklater) - but mostly due to his affinity for cropped turtleneck knits and ukelele serenades - making the film a pleasure to watch. The true star of the show is Provence’s breathtaking scenery and the classic nature of everything 20’s. The cars, Stone’s costuming, the houses and the soundtrack reinforce the film’s happily predictable plot to result in what becomes an entirely pleasant viewing experience.