The only reason I finally went to see Magic in the Moonlight is because I was craving movie popcorn.
Other than Blue Jasmine, which was amazing and featured an awe-inspiring performance by Cate Blanchett, and Midnight in Paris, which was an all-around delight, I haven’t really liked a Woody Allen movie in a while.
And I really don’t like Woody Allen as a person.
But it was a hot day and I wanted air-conditioning and popcorn.
Magic in the Moonlight stars Colin Firth as Stanley Crawford, a.k.a Wei Ling Soo, a world-famous Jazz Age magician, who sets out to prove that beautiful young clairvoyant, Sophie Baker (Emma Stone), is a fraud.
Stanley is arrogant, surly and totally full of himself. He is convinced that Sophie is trying to milk a rich American family in the South of France – after all, “I’m a rational man who believes in a rational world,” he says. His philosophy is “what you see is what you get,” and, to him, the world is strictly based on scientific reasoning. There is nothing spiritual about it.
Yet Sophie does seem to be a visionary – not to mention, a vision.
She tells him things about his family that she can’t possibly know. She makes candles levitate and the dead communicate. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t find any trickery involved.
Suddenly, Stanley is forced to rethink his approach to life. “It challenges our whole concept of reality,” he stammers in amazement.
“You’ve always been so sure,” replies his Aunt Vanessa, played to perfection by Eileen Atkins. “But we don’t know. I’ve always tried to tell you we just don’t know.”
Stanley becomes more optimistic, lighter. He succumbs to magical thinking, and actually feels the hope he’s always accused humanity of being so desperate for.
He is, for once, happy.
I won’t tell you where the movie goes from here. I will tell you that I loved Emma Stone, whose face lights up the screen and who could be a modern day Katherine Hepburn in a screwball comedy. And as someone who believes anything is possible, I loved the whole idea of Sophie as “proof that there’s magic in life.”
What I didn’t love was that someone as old as Colin Firth’s character could be chasing someone as young as Emma Stone’s character, but we won’t go there, will we, Woody? Ew.
Although the movie is too slight to be called great, it’s entertaining, easy on the eye and definitely offers food for thought. Is it true that “we need illusion in life, and must delude ourselves to get through it?” Or does magic truly exist?
I like to believe in the latter, and know that it can appear in a variety of forms.
As wise Aunt Vanessa explains, “Love at first sight is a kind of magic.”
And, sometimes, so is a Diet Coke and a bag of movie popcorn.
Yeah, I took the Red Vines and A/C and enjoyed them, because for me, the movie was a snoozer. And I had been so looking forward to it!
this sounds like of those movies you would enjoy on a Sunday afternoon when you have nothing else to do.
As a traditional Medium popcorn, extra butter, diet pepsi person, I must agree – as Woody Allen movies go, this one was only so so. I am glad you mentioned Midnight in Paris – by far one of my all time favorites! And Vicki Christina Barcelona – took me a second time around but I absolutely love this one.
(ps-found you on Midlife Blvd sharing!)
Yes popcorn is a good reason to go to a movie for sure!
I can’t see a movie in the theater without popcorn. It just doesn’t feel right.
Love the sound of this and Colin Firth is easy on the eyes.
The popcorn is the best. Can’t see a movie without it. Even at home.
I’ve never heard of this movie before. Looks like something I’ll watch when I’ve got nothing to do!
Anything with Colin Firth I will see! I love him.
Every time I see this trailer I can’t tell if I really want to see it or don’t want to see it at all, haha. I think that I would like to see it when it comes out though.
This is my first time hearing of this movie. However, thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
Looks like some nice movies to try as a couples date night to balance out the stress of every day life as a parent.
This sounds like a movie I could watch. I believe there’s a little magic everywhere, but to see if you must be open to it. You only believe what you want to believe, that’s why kids are my favorite kind of people! 🙂
You sound like me Lois. I’m in the mood for popcorn…Let’s go to the movies.
Love your review!
I’ve heard a lot about this movie & quite honestly, I would see it just because of Emma Stone. & movie theater popcorn, which is always the best.
I hadn’t even heard of this movie. I was not a fan of Blue Jasmine, so I’m not sure this would be for me, but I give most things a try. I’ll put it on my Netflix queue.
Emma Stone is one of my favourite actresses. She is so talented and I expect her to have a long and wonderful movie career.
Very interesting! I don’t really believe in magic but I do believe in miracles. 🙂
Ohh I might want to give this a shot – seems wonderful and worth it.
Oh, I have sooo been craving movie theatre popcorn, there is truly no substitute!