MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT Review

This marks the fourth year in a row that I have seen the annual Woody Allen feature in theaters and it would be a lie to say I'm not growing fond of the tradition. Of course, there is no telling how much longer this tradition might continue as the prolific writer/director is nearing seventy-nine and I can only imagine will continue to remain as consistent for so much longer. Allen continues to defy expectations though as he continues to both craft interesting enough stories for relevant actors to embody and piece them together in rapid fashion. It is hard to even pinpoint at what stage of life Allen first put the idea we're currently watching on screen to paper, but I can only imagine he has a drawer full of premises that he pulls from every year and crafts a screenplay around yet all the while is jotting down more ideas to add to the drawer. It will be interesting to see what he leaves us with as the next few features are likely to be some of his final ones, but if there is anything particularly telling about his latest it is that the guy isn't scared of getting old. Magic in the Moonlight may be able to pull off seeming like a romantic comedy for intellectuals and even as the film slogs to its inevitable conclusion it seems Allen would have liked to convince himself of this as well, but really the film is simply another exercise for Allen, the writer, to voice his complaints about mortality, the mystical side of life and belief in a higher power. He does this with both vigorous and insightful dialogue that is conveyed through what is at least an inventive situation. It also doesn't hurt he has placed the film in what we perceive as a more innocent period of time (1928) to soften the blow of his logical observations and make them feel more farcical than forceful. I am one who doesn't mind the arrogant, slightly egotistical nature of Allen especially when it has been imbued upon as charming an actor as Colin Firth and there truly is, as is typically the case, some finely-crafted dialogue here that cuts to the heart of the conflict our central character feels, but as a film in and of itself Magic in the Moonlight feels more minor than the significance of its ideas.

First Trailer for Woody Allen's MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT

It is at this time the of year, every year that we begin to see the promotional material for the annual Woody Allen film appear and 2014 looks to be no different as we've finally received a first look at the trailer for Allen's effort this year. I have enjoyed more of Allen's work than not over the past few years and with the talent he has rounded up for this one I can't see it going anywhere but in the column of those more appreciated than the black sheeps of his filmography, but there is always the chance it could simply exist and leave nothing of an impression on the directors ever-expanding catalogue. Set in the 1920's against the backdrop of France and it's wealthy jazz-age socialites it tells the story of an Englishman, played by Colin Firth who seems to be in a countless number of movies these days, who travels to assist a wealthy family in unmasking the spirit medium that has tricked them into believing her. This mystic of sorts turns out to be none other than Emma Stone who, as the plot thickens, is so charming and likable that he is either falling under another of her spells she is fraudulently perpetuating or she actually is the real deal. Firth's charming yet older Englishman is cautious to buy into such uncertainties that seem to challenge his common sense. The trailer hints at a possible love story near the end, but I hope that with Firth being fifty-four and Stone turning twenty-six later this year they hold off on what could be perceived as rather creepy and simply keep this to a light-hearted comedy that explores the psychology of faith and beliefs as Midnight in Paris did with our perception of time and nostalgia. Magic in the Moonlight also stars Eileen Atkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver and opens in limited release July 25.

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Review

Personally, I've been rooting for Beautiful Creatures since first seeing the trailer and its stellar mix of southern goth and Florence & the Machine soundtrack. Though I haven't read the young adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl the film is based on, I was intrigued by the setting, the fantasy and trying to assure myself that the next teen-lit adaptation featuring witches, wizards, or vampires had to be better than those Twilight movies. While it seems the buzz has been slow to build around this series I truly hope it becomes a talking point among its target audience and even beyond as I would love to see this series continue and have the opportunity to tell all four of its stories on film. While I enjoyed the movie plenty, there is much left to be desired and to a certain degree this takes away from the experience of the film. In some ways, it is as if this is only exists to set things up for what might come in the future and granted, that might just be due to the fact that there is still very much to come in the future. Still, for a first chapter there is much to enjoy here as the film adaptation of Beautiful Creatures features an impressive and very likable cast that executes its somewhat familiar story with a flair for the fun in it. There was a film a few years ago called Stardust and I always wished it had become a bigger success than it was. Based on a Neil Gaiman story it was a fun, enjoyable, very good film that took itself just seriously enough to feel credible while also not feeling overly cheesy when dealing with such things as witches and wizards. Beautiful Creatures is not as good a film as Stardust, but in the same vein it is a none too serious take on the fantasy world that gets overlooked or under cooked these days. Any movie that can involve elements of such genres and still manage some humor and honest drama is a welcome treat.