#LatePost
The Plot: Basically another Woody Allen take on the romantic comedy genre, Magic in the Moonlight puts Firth as a veteran magician and rationalist grump who vehemently believes that a young woman (Stone) who claims to be a psychic is a fraud, reasoning there are no such things as the “sixth sense”. In the process, another different kind of magic is brewing between these two.
The Non-Starter: Set in gorgeous South of France with the actors draped in snazzy ‘20s costume, Magic in the Moonlight quick-witted dialogue may be pure Allen but it proved to be his lesser outing mainly due to its incorrigible leading man (which one character actually said so to his face). I totally dig the avuncularly sexy persona of Firth but his voice here sounds very grating and, at times, his reading make it seems like he’s reading from a cue card (ya, I know, it’s just me but am just saying…).
Adding further nuisance is the extreme age difference between him (55) and Stone (27), which creepily reminded me of Allen’s latest headline in the news where he talks about his relationship with his wife/former adopted daughter. I know—separate the professional and the personal but sometimes one can’t help this meandering mind.
The Bottom Line: I’ve a feeling all actors wrote “I wanna be in a Woody Allen movie” in their checklist, and so would instantly jump at the chance of being in one regardless of the script. Magic lacks the charms of, say, Midnight in Paris but it’s entertaining, but character interaction lacks chemistry and at times makes me wonder why the always charming Stone would fall for him (unless she’s got paternal issues, like, akh never mind…). Eileen Atkins gives the cool aunt role some depth, but Marcia Gay Harden seems to be wasted in her role as Stone’s mother. Visuals are stunning though, especially at the conservatory.
Random Cinematic Thinking: Knowing Harden such a gifted actor who is flexible in both drama (Pollock) and comedy (The Newsroom), why can’t she be the leading lady?? I know, May-December romance happens all the time, but on screen the similarly age ones sadly is criminally underrepresented!
Random Cinematic Thinking #2: I have feeling with almost the entire character saying “rational, irrational” I can’t help to think that during this production Allen came up with the idea for his next outing: Irrational Man, coming out this year starring Joaquin Phoenix and his current muse, Stone.
Catch Magic in the Moonlight on HBO.
The Plot: Basically another Woody Allen take on the romantic comedy genre, Magic in the Moonlight puts Firth as a veteran magician and rationalist grump who vehemently believes that a young woman (Stone) who claims to be a psychic is a fraud, reasoning there are no such things as the “sixth sense”. In the process, another different kind of magic is brewing between these two.
The Non-Starter: Set in gorgeous South of France with the actors draped in snazzy ‘20s costume, Magic in the Moonlight quick-witted dialogue may be pure Allen but it proved to be his lesser outing mainly due to its incorrigible leading man (which one character actually said so to his face). I totally dig the avuncularly sexy persona of Firth but his voice here sounds very grating and, at times, his reading make it seems like he’s reading from a cue card (ya, I know, it’s just me but am just saying…).
Adding further nuisance is the extreme age difference between him (55) and Stone (27), which creepily reminded me of Allen’s latest headline in the news where he talks about his relationship with his wife/former adopted daughter. I know—separate the professional and the personal but sometimes one can’t help this meandering mind.
The Bottom Line: I’ve a feeling all actors wrote “I wanna be in a Woody Allen movie” in their checklist, and so would instantly jump at the chance of being in one regardless of the script. Magic lacks the charms of, say, Midnight in Paris but it’s entertaining, but character interaction lacks chemistry and at times makes me wonder why the always charming Stone would fall for him (unless she’s got paternal issues, like, akh never mind…). Eileen Atkins gives the cool aunt role some depth, but Marcia Gay Harden seems to be wasted in her role as Stone’s mother. Visuals are stunning though, especially at the conservatory.
Random Cinematic Thinking: Knowing Harden such a gifted actor who is flexible in both drama (Pollock) and comedy (The Newsroom), why can’t she be the leading lady?? I know, May-December romance happens all the time, but on screen the similarly age ones sadly is criminally underrepresented!
Random Cinematic Thinking #2: I have feeling with almost the entire character saying “rational, irrational” I can’t help to think that during this production Allen came up with the idea for his next outing: Irrational Man, coming out this year starring Joaquin Phoenix and his current muse, Stone.
Catch Magic in the Moonlight on HBO.