Magic in the Moonlight

This review may contain spoilers!

I have never met a period film that was so utterly dry, awful, disrespectful and blatantly bad before in my entire life. I would give Magic in the Moonlight a 3/10.

This film had some delightful sets and costumes that really grounded this film within the era it was set. I also loved the musical score; it was adventurous and it too played perfectly to the era of the plot.

Colin Firth, who played Stanley, did a great job portraying a man who was kind of dislikable; in fact a main lead written this badly and unappealingly is very hard to pull off and Firth does a great job with it. Eileen Atkins, who played Aunt Vanessa, was in her element in this film; her quick wit and her immediate sass were some of the best moments of the film. Marcia Gay Harden, who played Mrs Baker, did a great job confronting Firth multiple times; it was her feisty character that kept this film feeling grounded in many scenes.

Yet it was Emma Stone, who played Sophie, that showed herself to be the best actress within the film. Her natural demeanour is what really helps the film thrive, she uses dialogue in a way that makes the rest of the film engaging. She also did a wonderful caricature of a psychic and that was in itself a major pull for this film.

The film itself is overloaded with a plot that has no excitement, no real drama or tension or conflict; it is so deadbeat dull that Woody Allen may need to reflect on his scriptwriting. The humour deadpans as much as it draws a laugh, and the themes are so blatantly said that they are told to the audience; there is no room for the audience to draw it's own conclusions. I also found the romance plot insulting, the fact that Firth and Stone both string their romantic partners along is appalling and then to think Firth would develop a relationship with someone who lied to him didn't make sense. More importantly the fact that Stone or anyone in this film could love or care for Firth's character is hard to believe, he is a jerk and he is constantly written as a jerk till the very final scene. I have never witnessed such a poorly written protagonist in a period piece.

Simon McBurney, who played Howard Burkan, wasn't a great actor; in fact he consistently gave facts or details but rarely engaged with any other character in any convincing way except to depart information. Erica Leerhsen, who played Caroline, talked over people and created the effect of someone who didn't know their lines rather than a realistic setting. Jeremy Shamos, who played George, seemed to lack emotion and had nothing that made him seem like someone with empathy. Hamish Linklater, who played Brice, didn't feel like he attempted to act in a period film, rather he seemed to be in a modern film with the way he talked and acted. Jacki Weaver, who played Grace, used the same consistent voice and tone which made her feel like some kind of background nobody character rather than an important member of the cast.