Magic in the Moonlight Movie Review

Category: Movies

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Colin Firth stars in Woody Allen’s newest film, Magic in the Moonlight. This dialogue-driven movie is a delightful romantic comedy.

 

Firth plays Stanley, a world-renowned magician who comes to the Riviera with his friend, Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney), to debunk a woman who claims to be a psychic medium. Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) has convinced everyone she can see the future, knows private details about everyone’s past, and can contact the departed. Stanley has proven countless psychics to be frauds and he intends to do the same with Sophie.

 

But slowly by slowly Stanley is convinced Sophie is the real thing. This goes against everything he believes in. Stanley believes what you see is what you get and life is life – there is nothing more. But, as one character says, why would God go to so much trouble if everything comes to nothing?

 

Sophie comes from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her father left when she was young. Now she makes money off her “gift.” She is staying with her mother at an opulent villa and being pursued by a rich bachelor. According to Stanley, she is conning everyone to gain admittance into this lush and lavish lifestyle. And she is doing it quite well.

 

In a way, this is the opposite of Henry Higgins who convinced everyone that simple Eliza Doolittle was a proper lady and admired by all, after he taught her everything. Stanly must convince everyone that Sophie, an admired young woman, is an out-and out fake. How can he debunk her when he cannot figure out how she is doing what she is doing? She knows about his past, about his aunt’s past, about his uncle, about everything. How could this be if she were not a genuine psychic?

 

Colin Firth is adorable as the baffled magician with an ego the size of Mount Rushmore. His kinder, gentler side is revealed the more time he spends with Sophie and the endearing love story that unfolds is sweet.
Eileen Atkins plays Stanley’s Aunt Vanessa, Marcia Gay Harden plays Sophie’s mother, Hamish Linklater plays Sophie’s suitor Brice, and Jackie Weaver plays Brice’s mother who is desperate to contact her departed husband.

 

Magic in the Moonlight has a wonderful score, with plenty of songs from the 1920s. It’s rated PG-13 for a brief suggestive comment, and smoking throughout.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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