Director: Woody Allen
I would count myself a Woody Allen fan; I have seen many of his films, and find most of them very funny and clever, great vehicles for good performances by actors. Unfortunately, Magic in the Moonlight ranks as my least favourite of his works.
It is shame. The cast is incredibly good; I like both Colin Firth and Emma Stone, and the rest are all strong actors. And while their performances are fine, they are let down by a weak script. These types of stories may be fluff, but well done fluff is surprisingly satisfying. This is not. Also, as many critics have mentioned, the age gap between Firth and Stone is noticable, and the rather child-like clothes Stone's character wears only emphasis this difference. Stone may project maturity, but it doesn't do away with the unease of the casting.
I would also quibble with the use of wide shots in this film. We are distanced from the characters, and as we are trying to judge Stone's Sophie Baker's abilities along with Firth's Stanley Crawford, it would be nice to be able to look closer at her more often. Sadly, this was a disappointment.
I've heard many mixed things about this one, but never a "this was brilliant" and a lot of "meh" so I think I'll continue to pass on this one. I love Woody Allen...but he's very hit and miss lately.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, yes. 'Meh' is true.
DeleteI recently re-watched Manhattan; no one makes films like that anymore, not even Allen!