+ Best Romcom of the Year
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| A hard-to-resist poster for Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight |
Magic in the Moonlight is master filmmaker Woody Allen's (Broadway Danny Rose (1984)) 49th (!) movie.
In 1920's Southern France, a nihilistic skeptic, who is famous for his own Chinese magic act, travels to debunk a young spiritual medium, who is enchanting a wealthy family there.
Allen makes it all seem so easy in a film like Moonlight: As usual, he uses 'new' (in his oevre), great actors, who elevate themselves or present new sides of their talent in his hands. Here, kudos must go to both leads: Colin Firth (The King's Speech (2010)) is perfectly dry, sarcastic and thick-headed and makes audiences laugh and chuckle over Allen's priceless lines time and time again. Emma Stone (The Help (2011)), - more fortunate than the already highly respected Firth to be 'found' by Allen, despite the often dubious films she acts in, (The House Bunny (2008), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Movie 43 (2013), Gangster Squad (2013) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) to name a few) is irresistible, and appears as if she was made of marble at times, seemingly glowing from within. She makes a charming and believable opponent to Firth.
Of the secondary players, Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom (2010)) is a sweet delight; SPOILER Simon McBurney (The Last King of Scotland (2006)) is good as Firth's real opponent; Eileen Atkins (The Hours (2002)) is tactful and funny as Firth's aunt Vanessa, and Hamish Linklater (The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)) is funny as Stone's serenading dullard suitor.
Without spoiling much in the crisp plot, let me just say that Allen circles familiar territory in Magic in the Moonlight to say the least: Namely, whether life is abandoned of anything besides hard science; in other words, is there an afterlife and a God? Unable to answer these ever-present 'stones-in-the-shoe'-questions, Moonlight goes on to credibly indulge in the one pleasant thing that we can say for certain exists:
Romance.
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| Emma Stone and Colin Firth on another poster for Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight |
Professionally filmed by Iranian cinematographer Darius Khondji (The Immigrant (2013)), Moonlight also pleases with its marvelous locations by the French Riviera and beautiful, very well-crafted period costumes (by Sonia Grande (Midnight in Paris (2011))) and cars.
This film is a gift with its stimulating, smartly devised story. One of the year's true wonders.
Related posts:
Woody Allen: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] To Rome With Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date
Anything Else (2003) - Perfect contemporary relationship comedy
Broadway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship With Alvie Singer
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs
Watch the original trailer here
Cost: Unknown
Box office: 26.7 mil. $ (and running)
= Uncertainty
[In all likeliness, although the cost of the film is not known, Moonlight has some way to go still before it breaks even, and therefore looks like a minor flop so far.]
What do you think of Magic in the Moonlight?
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