Canton Movie Review: Not Much Magic in the Moonlight

There is Not Much Magic in the Moonlight

By Hailey Duran

After the success and acclaim of Woody Allen’s last two films, Blue Jasmine (2013), and Midnight in Paris (2011), Allen has missed the mark with his latest film, Magic in the Moonlight. The movie stars Colin Firth as Stanley, the great magician “Wei Ling Soo”, a true pessimist who finds great pleasure in debunking Psychic Mediums. The Medium he attempts to unmask in the movie is the incredibly upbeat Sophie Baker, played by Emma Stone.

The entirety of Allen’s new movie felt like an awkward throwback to the 1920’s in cinema; the staging of the actors, the editing, the writing, and the sets all felt forced and out of place. Many of the film’s elements simply felt stiff or too overdone.

It is unfortunate and uncreative of Allen to return to France in the 1920’s; the same time and setting of most of Midnight in Paris. In many ways, Magic seemed to be resting on the shoulders of Midnight, not just because of the plot, but also because Magic’s score was incredibly similar to that of Midnight’s. For Magic in the Moonlight the soundtrack failed to be unique and became extremely repetitive.

The worst offense Allen has committed against the audience is the fact that the 97 minute film felt much more like 120 minutes, which did not support the dull script or the erratic pacing of the movie.

The one positive I can say about Magic, is that the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. Darius Khondji did a fantastic job bringing us into the world of the 1920’s South of France. Overall, Magic in the Moonlight felt immature and disappointing. There were some charming moments but they were not enough to make up for all of the film’s shortcomings. It’s safe to say you can save yourself some time and money by skipping this movie.

Hailey Duran is a recent college grad from Rider University with a degree in Digital Media and Cinema Studies. As a freelance writer, she has come back to her hometown of Canton and is ready to take on the things she loves most: good movies, bad TV, and homegrown food.