Magic In The Moonlight
Woody Allen 2014 USA
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Eileen Atkins, Simon McBurney, Hamish Linklater, Catherine McCormack, Jacki Weaver, Marcia Gay Harden, Erica Leerhsen
Whenever I write a review on here I make an effort above all to be accurate and try never to descend into hollow hyperbole but I don't think it's an overstatement to label Woody Allen as among the greatest American directors of all time. In the past few years I've been working through his back catalogue and have only encountered one piece, 1990's magical misfire Alice, that I could happily say was a bad film. His latest, Magic In The Moonlight, comes close to making it two. Treading waters already visited the narrative is set in 1928 and follows a travelling magician (a role Allen himself played in 2006's vastly underrated and largely unseen Scoop) called Wei Ling Soo, except when he stomps backstage and tears off his bald cap it's revealed that he isn't really Asian, his name is Stanley Crawford and he has all the charm of a ceaseless epidemic. And when the disillusioned illusionist isn't making elephants disappear he dazzles via incessant arrogance, caustic conversation and gleefully debunking fraudulent psychics. Regardless he's very well thought of and even has a lovely girlfriend (a decent but essentially thankless cameo from Catherine McCormack) who doesn't seem to mind him being an insufferable prick. As promising an opening as this may seem though
that's about as good as the film gets and any subsequent wit, insight or appeal is purely coincidental. In fact probably the most interesting point is the allegory of Allen's own current situation with his adopted but estranged daughter Dylan Farrow - to see parallels in Moonlight's tale of a cynical celebrity revered by some and detested by others frantically trying to convince the public that a younger woman is lying isn't exactly a stretch. More disturbing is Allen's treatment of his lead female character, played by a mostly bland Emma Stone. A questionable spiritualist courted and caught between a lovelorn millionaire fop and a much older man who rubbishes her profession, derides her intelligence and treats her very much as he might a boil on the back of his neck - as something he wants to control and improve but that his interest in doesn't extend to regard - her eventual choice reeks of illogical sexism half-heartedly masquerading as romance and only appears to reinforce and excuse all the back-handed compliments and unveiled insults that have been thrown at her. There is a clever twist late on and an eleventh hour scene in which a desperate and humbled Stanley sincerely prays to the God he finally believes in is wonderfully played until Allen gives up halfway through but they don't even come close to making up for the hour and a half of uneventful horseshit that precede them. It's not funny enough to work as a comedy, practically devoid of incident or excitement, fundamentally anti-romantic and the typical Allen banter is only notable by its absence from 90% of the story. Firth is excellent at firing acid and a brief image of Hamish Linklater in cricket whites serenading Stone with vaudeville hit 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows' on a ukulele stands out but most of the performers have little opportunity to add anything worthwhile to proceedings. Disappointing and unremarkable in every way.
