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| Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics |
When
you’ve made as many movies as Woody Allen, they’re not all going to be Annie
Hall. That tends to happen when you crank out one movie a year for 32 years
straight. After a string of solid flicks like Midnight in Paris and Blue
Jasmine, the prolific filmmaker strikes out with his latest.
The
premise is intriguing and the talented cast is willing, but there’s not much
they can do to save the lukewarm material. It feels like Allen cranked out a first
draft and decided it was good enough to shoot. It wasn’t.
Focusing
once more on the lives of wealthy white people in Europe, Allen at least attempts
to filter his obsession through an imaginative prism. Colin Firth plays Stanley
Crawford, a renowned magician touring France in the 1920s. The illusionist
dazzles audiences under the persona of mystical Chinese conjurer Wei Ling Soo,
but he’s actually just a grouchy, cynical Englishman.
The
plot kicks into gear when an old friend (Simon McBurney) persuades him to visit
Sophie Baker (Emma Stone), a young woman claiming to be a psychic medium, and
expose her as a fraud. She has already won over a wealthy family by supposedly
communicating with their dead patriarch; the mother (Jacki Weaver) has opened
her checkbook and the son (Hamish Linklater) has proposed marriage.
Stanley
sees through her at once, but Sophie gradually wears down his defenses. Soon,
the arrogant grouch begins to realize he might actually believe her. What’s
worse, he may be falling in love.
The
idea’s theoretical promise might’ve come to fruition if Allen spent more time developing
the story, but there are no surprises whatsoever. Magic in the Moonlight plays
out exactly as you expect it to once the premise is established. At least it’s only
95 minutes.
Sadly,
you can see Firth and Stone working their butts off trying to bring the
proceedings to life. If it was in 3D, their sweat would fly off the screen. But
their efforts are in vain since there’s absolutely no reason for the audience
to root for their romance.
Stanley
is unrepentantly cranky and egotistical, which doesn’t seem like it should be a
turn-on for a doe-eyed ingénue like Sophie. That also speaks to the film’s most
uncomfortable element: the 28-year difference in the actors’ ages. I’ll grant that
Firth is a handsome, spirited 53, but Stone looks a lot younger than 25. Heck,
she just played a high school student in the Spider-Man sequel three months
ago.
Factor
in the filmmaker’s unsettling personal history, and it adds an unintentionally creepy
touch to the proceedings. Maybe it’s unfair to judge the flick in those terms,
but I can’t lie. It had an effect on my viewing experience.
Magic
in the Moonlight opens exclusively at Tara Cinemas on Friday before expanding
to more theaters. Honestly, I’d wait until it hits Redbox. If you’re going to
drive to Atlanta for a movie, see Boyhood instead.
Magic in the Moonlight is rated PG-13 for a brief suggestive comment, and smoking throughout.
Grade:
C
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