Watch Magic in the Moonlight

Magic in the Moonlight is a 2014 romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen, set in the 1920s French Riviera. The movie follows the story of Stanley Crawford (played by Colin Firth), a famous British illusionist who sets out to debunk a psychic medium named Sophie Baker (played by Emma Stone). Set in 1928 in the glamorous surroundings of the Côte d'Azur, the story begins with Stanley (Colin Firth) performing to a packed theatre audience in Berlin. He is an arrogant, cynical illusionist who delights in exposing fake spirit mediums, and earning large sums of money in the process. Shortly after his Berlin show, his old friend Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney) persuades him to take a trip to the French Riviera to expose a young American girl named Sophie (Emma Stone) who is claiming to have psychic powers.

Stanley initially resists the proposal to travel to the Riviera, but when he is assured that his presence is needed because Sophie is especially difficult to expose, he agrees to go. Sophie is spending the summer with her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and wealthy fiancé at their villa in the south of France. Stanley is disguised as a businessman, so as not to arouse suspicion, and he gets to work immediately, using his skills to follow and observe Sophie’s every move.

As Stanley spends time with Sophie, his initial skepticism begins to wane. Sophie performs a series of impossible psychic feats, including intimate details about Stanley's past which he had never revealed to anyone. Stanley is bewildered and begins to question whether there might be some truth to Sophie's claims. As Stanley and Sophie become closer, he is forced to confront his own prejudices and become a more empathetic person.

As the story unfolds, Stanley is faced with a crisis of conscience. He has never believed in the supernatural, but Sophie has made him question everything he has ever known. If Sophie is telling the truth, then he will have to re-evaluate his life's work as an illusionist, which has consisted of exposing other fraudulent psychics. But, if Sophie is a fraud, he will take great pleasure in exposing her to the world.

The film explores themes of truth, deception, and the supernatural, and is beautifully shot with stunning scenes of the French Riviera. As always with Woody Allen’s movies, the dialogue is witty and clever, and the performances by the cast are fantastic.

Colin Firth delivers a great performance as the cynical and confident illusionist, who experiences a journey of self-discovery in the film. Emma Stone, on the other hand, portrays her character Sophie with great sensitivity and conviction. Her performance helps the audience to believe that Sophie might truly possess psychic powers, which puts the audience in the same skeptical mindset as Stanley.

Marcia Gay Harden is also excellent as Sophie's mother, who is desperately trying to marry her daughter off to a wealthy man. Her character provides a great deal of comic relief to the movie, and her performance is spot on.

In conclusion, Magic in the Moonlight is a charming and engaging romantic comedy. It will keep you entertained with its clever plot, beautiful setting, and excellent performances by the cast. This movie will make you think, laugh, and feel good all at once.

Magic in the Moonlight is a 2014 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 54.