Movie Review #18: Magic in the Moonlight

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)
Director: Woody Allen
Writer(s): Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Hamish Linklater

If one looks at my reviews of this year's films, one will quickly find that I have not been particularly kind to them, even if they have received critical acclaim. Despite Boyhood being heralded as the year's best movie upon release, I gave it a rating barely over a 5/10. Chef faired even worse. Edge of Tomorrow, despite being called one of the best action pictures of the year, is one of my least favorite movies of the year. It gives me pride to say that I have not given my money to Michael Bay, the moron responsible for what will undoubtedly be the two worst movies of the year (if only for the fact that they will kill the most brain cells): Transformers: Age of Extinction and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Worst of all, I can't watch most of the good blockbusters due to my own personal tic. I refuse to watch a sequel unless I have seen the original, for any sequel viewed without seeing the original lacks essential context and character development. As one can guess, I have not seen The Avengers due to my having to see The Incredible Hulk, Thor, the first two Iron Man movies, and Captain America (granted, I have seen that one). By the same token, I refuse to watch X-Men: Days of Future Past or How to Train Your Dragon 2. As a result, 2014 has been a very disappointing year for me.

Fortunately, Woody Allen has given me a motion picture to break up most of the CGI-fest/emotionally manipulative tear-jerker/feel-good fluff monotony. Magic in the Moonlight is one of the best motion pictures of the year, and it deserves commemoration as a picture worthy of Woody Allen's auteur status. Alarmingly, I find a plurality of critics seem to dislike this film for rather weak reasons. Over the course of this review, I will try to elucidate why I think Magic in the Moonlight is a great movie while simultaneously countering the various arguments made against it. While some consider Magic in the Moonlight to be a tired movie repeating themes Allen has discussed before, if examined in the right way, it's one of the most psychologically complex and challenging movies released this year.

Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) is an accomplished illusionist and ESP/spiritual medium debunker, a 1920s James Randi. While on tour, he encounters one of his old friends, Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney); Burkan has been studying a particularly accomplished medium who has been entangling herself in the life of the Catledge family, a well-to-do clan of aristocrats who are easily won over by spiritual connections. Stanley, determined to prove that there is no such thing as beyond-the-grave contact, heads off to debunk the medium. Little does he realize that the medium, Sophie Baker (Emma Stone), is not only beautiful but is quite possibly the real deal. Romantic tension ensues as Sophie begins wearing down Stanley's skeptical exterior. At the same time, Brice Catledge (Hamish Linklater) has fallen in love with Sophie and is determined to marry her. The conflicts all begin to unravel in a truly magical movie experience.

My description makes it seem as if Magic in the Moonlight is just another rom-com. Sadly, any attempt to summerize the plot does the film's plot a great injustice. It's difficult to capture the essence and spirit of Magic in the Moonlight. In any case, it is no mere rom-com. For one thing, the characters of Magic in the Moonlight are far more complex than those one would find in a rom-com. Stanley Crawford isn't the quirky, lovable skeptic one would immediately think of; he's a jerk. His behavior towards others is understated at best and callous at worst. His rationality has shattered any and all emotional and spiritual illusions he might place before himself. It is clear that he wants to enjoy life, enjoy love, but his realistic tendencies forbid him to gain even a modicum of happiness. His bitterness throughout the picture gives him a reality few rom-com characters have. Colin Firth, as always, is fantastic. As of this moment, he is my leading candidate for best male performer, with only Ralph Fiennes of The Grand Budapest Hotel even coming close.

The rest of the cast isn't quite up to par with Firth, but they all turn in satisfying performances. Emma Stone, who has become one of cinema's most dominant young actresses, is quite good as Sophie, even if some of her inflections are a bit over-the-top. She's clearly trying to evoke the theatrics of mediums, and she's gets about 60% of the way there. It's the occasional awkward intonation that slightly weakens the audience's suspension of disbelief. Ever since Hamish Linklater's role as Jerry Dantana on Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom, I've been looking forward to see him in other roles. He certainly fits the bill here; while Dantana is inherently dissatisfied with the lot of the oppressed, Brice Catledge is totally unaware of others in his lovestruck bliss. His profound naïveté makes him incredibly endearing, despite him being the clear romantic rival. Noted British actress Eileen Atkins gives a great turn as Stanley's aunt, Vanessa; her "noble" nature belies a carnal mind that provides comedic moment after comedic moment. McBurney's Howard Burkan satisfies his role to a T. Two of the best performances come from Jeremy Shamos and Erica Leerhsen, the two Catledges who do not buy into Sophie's mystique; their psychological inclinations are an excellent foil against Stanley's rationalist perspective.

So, what are the complaints? Well, most of them seem to revolve around the romance between Stanley and Sophie: namely, Stanley is far too old. All too many find this subject matter unsettling, especially considering Allen's own marriage to former step-daughter Soon-Yi Previn. While I do question, at the very least, Allen's marital decisions, I'm not so sure one can criticize Magic in the Moonlight for the same problems. While Colin Firth is much older than Emma Stone, the make-up department in this film does wonders in both decreasing Firth's age and increasing Stone's age. While there is still a marked age difference, it doesn't end up feeling unsettling. Furthermore, our opinions of the artist's character shouldn't play a major role in our assessing a piece of art. Phil Spector may be a convicted murderer, but "Be My Baby" isn't any less of a song for it.

The other major complaint is the notion of Allen retreading some of his own themes. Magic in the Moonlight has a clearly atheistic worldview, one reminiscent of earlier films such as Crimes and Misdemeanors. This criticism has much more weight: redundancy is never appreciated. Yet I think Magic in the Moonlight is a more complex film than such criticisms suggest. Despite what the Oscar-nominated acting scene would have you suggest, this film isn't merely about being skeptical of God. Magic in the Moonlight delivers what it advertises: it's a film about magic. Not the Merlin/Gandalf/Harry Potter kind of magic, but the Harry Houdini/Paul Daniels type of magic. This movie has a huge emphasis on theatrics and misdirection. The script, though criticized for being somewhat roundabout, is designed to have the audience looking in the wrong directions. The somewhat contrived locations and happenstances of the film create the atmosphere of a stage show. Magic in the Moonlight doesn't unfold in the manner of a traditional movie; it's more like a stage play put to screen. There's a truly clever wit hiding beneath the bright cinematography.

The movie also has a very even-handed grasp of comedy and tragedy. The film often shifts from tremendous tragedy to tremendous comedy with a very strong sense of pace. The tone feels very comfortable, and the audience is rarely thrown into emotional flux. Such a tendency offers a tremendous insight into the life of the magician. The magician is the person in control, reveling in the world of spectacle. But that spectacle is based around deception; the entire livelihood of the magician is staked upon a set of lies. Also, for all his/her claims of superiority, the magician is still vulnerable to the same losses as those of any other individual. Thus, the magician might retreat into his/her own art in order to escape the harshness of reality. This complex theory of mind is constantly at play in Magic in the Moonlight. One never knows if a character is bearing him/herself to the audience or if it is all part of one grand trick. Instead of feeling manipulated, though, the audience is enthralled.

There is one element of the film, though, that the critics have justly torn into: the romance. It's not that the romance is morally disgusting or sexist or anything of that ilk; it is just too rushed. I have always disliked the notion of romance through montage; it doesn't set up any real romantic tension or true development. It offers the illusion of growth as opposed to actual growth. Magic in the Moonlight is definitely guilty of using romantic montage in the wrong way. Furthermore, the third act of the romance is full of several romantic turns that make little sense when analyzed thoroughly. Had the scenes been given a bit more space to breathe, they might have worked, but the romance does feel somewhat shallow. Seeing as the romance does take up a sizable portion of the film, this is a major problem.

In spite of that, I still recommend Magic in the Moonlight for anyone with the patience and inquisitiveness to appreciate it. I've met plenty of people who didn't like this movie for perfectly rational reasons, but nearly anyone who saw it did find things to admire. It's a movie that engenders conversation, and that's a key factor in nearly all art. Is it the best movie I've seen this year? No. Is it the best film of 2014? Probably not. But it's certainly a breath of fresh air from the CGI and food dominated blockbuster scene. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I can't wait to explore more of Allen's work.

Recommendation: Magic in the Moonlight is a Woody Allen movie. If one doesn't like Woody Allen movies, one probably won't like Magic in the Moonlight. If one does like Woody Allen movies, or wants to like Woody Allen movies, then Magic in the Moonlight is as good an introduction as anything else.

I give Magic in the Moonlight 7.9 stars out of 10.