MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT: And now for his next trick

Sometimes Woody Allen gives you heavy stuff, à la Blue Jasmine or Match Point. And sometimes he gives you fluffy stuff, like Midnight in Paris or Scoop. This is why I continue to be perplexed by people who say they “don’t like Woody Allen movies.” I can understand not liking some – or even a lot – of them. But all of them? That’s like saying you don’t like The Beatles. Really? Out of 214 recordings over the span of ten years, there wasn’t a single song that grabbed you?

It’s the same with Woody Allen. He’s written, directed, and/or starred in well over 100 films over the last 50 years, providing far too much variety for him to be dismissed wholesale. He really is a filmmaker for all seasons. And I don’t know it for a fact, but I’m guessing there’s a reason the dude has won 132 film awards (so far). I don’t like everything he’s ever done – not by a long shot. But I can’t argue with his talent, and I’ll always give him the benefit of the doubt.

As for Magic in the Moonlight, if it so happens that you prefer your Woody Allen movies with a little less Woody Allen, a little less angst, and a little less Manhattan, this film might be a great fit for you. Here we’ve got the angelic Emma Stone flitting about the Côte d’Azur circa 1928, rubbing elbows with a divine British cast that includes Colin Firth, Eileen Atkins, and Simon McBurney. Oh, and there are some other Americans too, but we get to see them any ol’ time. It’s Colin and Emma – the magician and the psychic – that we really care about.

I’ll admit that Magic in the Moonlight lacks some of the, shall we say, magic of Midnight in Paris, but it is still a perfectly charming period piece, deliciously nostalgic, where the costumes, the cars, and even the coastline play active parts in our seduction. Will our hero’s chronic skepticism keep him from experiencing all that life has to offer? Or will the winsome psychic teach this magician a few new tricks of her own? My good people, have faith in Mr. Allen, and all will be revealed!

Watch the trailer here.