Don't be fooled by Woody's latest: the pleasantly thin "Magic in the MoonlightProlific and acclaimed filmmaker Woody Allen churns out at least one film a year, and the last couple of years have mostly been magical, with his films "Midnight in Paris" and "Blue Jasmine" taking home Oscars for Allen's script and acting for Cate Blanchett's revelatory performance in "Jasmine." He isn't as lucky with his latest uneven but charming comedy "Magic in the Moonlight," which in spite of its likable performances, feels slight and forced. Chinese conjuror Wei Ling Soo is a celebrated magician of his age, but real life is Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth), a grouchy and arrogant Englishman with a sky-high opinion of himself and an aversion to phony spiritualists' claims. On vacation, he tries to fool the alluring young clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) and her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and the two somehow end up falling love. Directed and written by Allen, "Magic in the Moonlight" lacks the magic and enchantment of "Midnight in Paris" and is one of Allen's lesser efforts in his extensive catalogue. He certainly has a stellar cast to work with, and Oscar-winner Firth is great as the grouchy magician who meets his match in the lovely Stone, who is pleasant but miscast here (she's too young as a romantic interest for Firth). Being a period piece, the classic instrumental score, the sets and the costumes are all impeccable, and Allen continues to amaze technically as a filmmaker. However, the story is thin, uninvolving and only sporadically funny and the pleasant "Magic in the Moonlight," which is part comedy and part semi-fantasy, fails to find satisfaction in a rather paltry climax. I liked it, and while it's not as good or as funny as some of Allen's previous works, even mediocre Allen is still better than many filmmakers today.
Wes's Grade: C
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