Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Magic in the Moonlight Blu-ray Movie Review

More Allen magic.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 15, 2014

The well publicized off-set distractions that plagued acclaimed Filmmaker Woody Allen through much of 2014 aren't in any way apparent in his latest annual outing, the magnificently charming Magic in the Moonlight. This is another simple yet exceptional film from the master of the character-centered cinema experience. Allen's latest, a tale of Roaring Twenties romance in a world of make believe, mystery, and perhaps even the supernatural, is a charming affair that's breezy-light but also well-rounded and full, featuring strongly developed characters inhabiting a fairly unique story. The film is all Allen, whose mastery behind the camera and the keyboard alike, and reliance on character-driven drama and whimsy rather than high tech visual effects, allows him to produce more films than most while maintaining his signature quality and style that's so "Woody" that fans would even recognize his work even without his name on the marquee. Magic in the Moonlight is classic theater, for all intents and purposes, another brilliant stroke in one of the most storied bodies of work in Hollywood history.

How does she do it?

An acclaimed magician named Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth), who demands perfection in each and every aspect of his show and who eschews the very fans that pay his salary, has his own veil of backstage curmudgeonliness lifted when an old friend, Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney), arrives after a show. Howard invites Stanley to spend time with the wealthy Catledge family that is hosting a supposed medium named Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) who has wiggled her way into the family's affairs, promising the widow Catledge (Jacki Weaver) communication with her deceased husband. Meanwhile, the family's young playboy, Brice (Hamish Linklater), has fallen in love with the elegant Sophie. Stanley, who believes he will have Sophie exposed almost upon arrival, is startled when she begins sharing details of his life, and the lives of those around her, that she could not possibly know. A baffled Stanley nevertheless pushes forward, determined to expose her, but a series of events lead him to believe that she may be the real deal. Meanwhile, even as Brice serenades and courts the lovely young lady, Stanley finds himself drawn closer to her and discovers an attraction -- one that's more than skin-deep -- to the woman he came to expose.

Magic in the Moonlight's core mystery -- is Sophie a legitimate mystic or are there some shenanigans going on? -- isn't all that difficult to decipher, but Allen nevertheless maintains an amiable sense of mystery thanks in large part to the wonderful performances that sell every scene, reveal every intimate thought, and propel the story forward even after the audience has long since abandoned the easily solved guessing game and settled in to instead enjoy the budding romance. Indeed, the film is awash in precision efforts all around, with Firth unsurprisingly commanding the screen with an odd concoction that is all at once charm, vanity, skepticism, a burgeoning belief in Sophie's "abilities," and in inward examination of his core belief system. Whether the first time he meets her -- when he plays it straight but introduces the most subtle hint of a legitimate inquisitiveness and minor amazement at her abilities, both while holding back the beginnings of a chuckle and standing tall and confident in the presence of a beautiful woman -- or when he has it all figured out in an "aha!" Sherlock Holmes sort of reveal, the performance is spot-on for every detail that's required of it, and then some. Firth brings out the most not only in the character but in the movie. He guides the proceedings with a confidence in his role and the validity of the greater story in which he is the central figure and strikes that perfect balance between sleuthing and infatuation. The entire cast is splendid -- Stone is also a standout, particularly later in the film when one can almost see the mental gears churning in her mind as she must choose between a suitor who promises her the moon and a man who has opened his heart to her despite a pile of doubt -- but it's Firth who most fully develops the film and engenders an accessibility to each of its major and minor components alike.

But more than anything, it's Allen's magical touch that makes Moonlight such a welcoming experience. The movie is a reflection of a style he utilizes in every one of his movies, and it never manages to grow old. Allen keeps formula fresh not simply by changing up characters and basic plot themes but by revealing the strengths of story and the benefits of simplicity to not simply tell a tale, but to engage the audience in it, to bring them into the intimate worlds the characters inhabit and, more importantly, the mindsets that shape their attitudes and relationships. Even as the movie is almost in no way relatable on its surface -- it's set nearly a century in the past and involves the sort of "spirit world" shenanigans that are generally the property of more "bump-in-the-night" sorts of films -- Allen really uses the core story elements as mere pieces to dig deeper into his characters and the general human reflections their experiences engender, from spiritual struggles to matters of the heart. Those are the things the audience understands, and Allen makes the journey through them mesmerizingly entertaining rather than dryly discovered. Just as important, he doesn't overstuff the film but manages to make it play with a tangibly breezy flow through which subtle story nuance and arcing plot lines alike follow a harmonious, unbroken, completely even arc from start to finish. There's simply nobody better in Hollywood at telling a story, and when it all comes right down to it, isn't that cinema at its very essence?

Magic in the Moonlight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Magic in the Moonlight favors a light period-inspired sepia appearance while at the same time showcasing some slightly overcooked colors -- reds and greens in particular -- around the frame. At the same time, select scenes take on a noticeable paleness in comparison. Details are frequently pinpoint excellent. Center-frame and actor close-up shots reveal finer fabric textures and facial lines to positive film-quality accuracy, but there's an occasional softness around edges that doesn't allow much precision in medium and distance shots. Black levels are a little inconsistent, too, favoring a light paleness here and a hint of crush there. Skin tones, unsurprisingly, reflect that aforementioned sepia overlay. Otherwise, the image is technically flawless. Naturally occurring light grain inhabits the proceedings, but compression issues, wear, or other unwanted anomalies are absent. All that said, this appears to be a rather faithful transfer and a nice example of the power film -- not digital -- still holds within the medium as a legitimate, handsome canvas.

Magic in the Moonlight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Magic in the Moonlight features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that, like most Allen films, favors music and dialogue as its primary ingredients but that, unlike some of his other films, does stretch a bit to include some more enveloping pieces. Those primary elements, however, are presented in fine working order. Music plays with a noticeable muddiness about it, which like the video's sepia appearance is designed to create a certain mood, not put a sound system through its paces. One exception comes early on during a magic show that presents a lively, welcomingly clear and articulate stringy musical accompaniment that represents the track's single most audibly enticing stretch. Musical spacing, otherwise and understandably, is rather limited, but the track does expand to feature some light background countryside ambience and explode into a drenching rain and thunderstorm in chapter eight. Dialogue, the staple piece in the sonic arrangement, is presented firmly and accurately through the center speaker.

Magic in the Moonlight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Magic in the Moonlight contains three brief supplements.

• Behind the Magic (1080p, 11:21): This piece examines character qualities, cast thoughts on the supernatural and a few metaphysical insights, cast camaraderie and performances, working with Woody Allen, and Firth's key soliloquy later in the film.
• On the Red Carpet: Los Angeles Film Premiere (1080p, 2:45): The cast talks up the movie, discusses Woody Allen, and shares a few random anecdotes at the film's premiere.
• Magic in the Moonlight Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:06).

Magic in the Moonlight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Woody Allen has done it again. Magic in the Moonlight is another extraordinary little movie from one of the true legends in the film industry. Though embroiled in scandal and media scrutiny, he's churned out another gem that's classic Allen in every way, a movie that's whimsically inviting, effortlessly photographed and edited, and beautifully performed. Here's hoping for more magic in the future from a true master of the art form. Sony's Blu-ray release of Magic in the Moonlight features good video, high end audio, and a couple of extras. Highly recommended.