As a self-proclaimed Woody-phile, I look forward to a new
Woody Allen film every summer. (And since he’s
78 ½ who knows how many more he will make? Although he is shooting the next
one right now)... Naysayers like to
lament about the golden age of Woody, completely discounting anything he’s had
to offer since the ‘80s. I strongly disagree. In fact, I assert that Magic in the Moonlight, opening today, is one of the most intelligent and articulate scripts the Wood-man has
ever written.
The main character is the typical Woody-esque curmudgeon but
the dialogue is so infused with British aristocratic jargon that it sounds much
more elegant than usual AND it is still funny as hell. The film is also a beautiful period piece, with more
color and elaborate costumes than Woody used to use in his early Upper East
Side stories. The thing that I love the
most is that Woody is still asking questions about faith and magic in the
universe versus knowledge and science.
The entire company is led brilliantly by Colin Firth. His performance is pitch-perfect and he must
be acknowledged for being Woody’s leading man without doing a Woody
Allen impersonation. Bravo Mr. Firth! It is another engaging character I have seen Firth do
in an always fantastic career.
It will be interesting to see if this film gets the acclaim
that Blue Jasmine did. It seems like a good formula: Woody plus
seasoned lead actor from another country = greatness and acclaim. We shall see…
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