MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (PG)
★★½
Dendy, Capitol Manuka, Limelight, Palace
Colin Firth cuts a fine figure every time. His matinee idol looks and manly physique now grace Woody Allen's latest as a pompous Englishman who is, oddly enough, a famous illusionist with the stage name of Wei Ling Soo. After the initial shock of seeing Firth as a traditional Oriental gentleman, it's a relief to see him emerge in tweed and inhabiting his signature persona, that of the diffident, awkward lover.
The incongruity of the hunk who does not play romantic lead with ease usually works a treat for Firth. We have come a long way from the days of Cary Grant and Clark Gable. Firth's diffident characters were such a hoot in Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones's Diary, and some of this has been imported into Firth's character here. Stanley, the ultra rationalist, won't have anything to do with the supernatural or with religion, but he meets his nemesis in Sophie (Emma Stone). Instead of debunking her clairvoyant and mystic powers, he falls in love with her.
It all takes place against gorgeous backdrops in Provence and the Cote d'Azur, and cynics would say it's another plus, after Barcelona, Paris and Rome, for European tourism. Stanley shows up to expose the dubious young woman for the gold-digger and the fake that she is. However, the old grouch but handsome devil discovers she just might have something there, and though he does his best to snuff it out, also discovers a faint stirring of the heartstrings.
As we may expect from a filmmaker who has visited us almost every year since late in the 1960s, Magic in the Moonlight is charming and seamless, and tossed our way with careless ease. But the downside is when Allen's work arrives slight and clumsy.
The problem is not Firth, it's Allen's screenplay and direction. Why did the filmmaker shoot an early draft in need of fleshing out, and how did he convince his leading man to play the bumbling booby rather badly?
Another uncomfortable fact is that Sophie could be Stanley's daughter, and as if to accentuate the age difference, her girlish attire makes her look even younger. Firth looks Photoshopped in the promo material. Once again we have from Allen a character of rational resolve with a heart that has a mind of its own. In my view, the best scene of the film takes place as wily old Aunt Vanessa (Eileen Atkins), while playing solitaire - a nice touch - convinces Stanley he loves Sophie.
Although Woody has not spent enough time in prep, the finish is immaculate. Production values are hard to beat, but gazing more intently below the veneer of this captivating bauble, there's not a lot to find.
