Magic in the Moonlight (PG). Director: Woody Allen. Starring: Eileen Atkins, Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver. 98 minutes.
Stanley (Colin Firth) is a spiritual debunker and magician. Believing that he has pretty well achieved expert status on life, and on the ways in which human beings can delude or be deluded, he uses this intelligence to make money. As a magician he deludes willing audiences for entertainment, and as a debunker he ousts those who make money by deluding the gullible and vulnerable such as purported clairvoyants, mystics and the like.
Stanley doesn't dream; what is the point? He doesn't see the possibilities in front of him. He only sees the things that affirm his pessimism about the human condition. His pragmatism comes in like a sledgehammer, quickly taking any sense of wonderment to task.
Enter Sophie (Emma Stone), a beautiful, charming young mystic who predicts the unpredictable and communicates with the dead – for a price. Stanley is brought in by a rich American family to expose Sophie, whom they believe has misled them. But when the two meet, an undeniable chemical reaction — magic, minus the 'abracadabra' — ensues.
This film is enchanting, full of comedy, cute dialogue and charming scenery, and featuring pitch perfect performances by Stone and Firth. The premise itself is both fun and thoughtful. In the end it's a film all about one's view, the lens through which one chooses to see the world. Cynicism or wonder? Mayhem or magic? Have you ever looked up at the stars and marveled at the mystery?
The film's exploration of questions regarding the existence of God is particularly engaging. At one point Stanley, despite being a staunch non-believer, begins to pray. In worry and uncertainty, he lets his guard down and surrenders to a potential power that he cannot understand or see. It is a rare moment of vulnerability.
Stanley's cynicism, pragmatism and pessimism all help him to avoid feeling vulnerable. But they have not protected him from life, its uncertainties and pain. Perhaps looking at life through a calculated and methodical lens cannot offer any more predictability than looking at it with a sense of magic. This film poses the question: Which way brings more joy?
The wit of writer-director Woody Allen sparkles through these charming characters and engaging storyline. The film is populated by lovable characters who, even when they do wrong, are never