Magic in the Moonlight

2014
PG-13
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

72K

YOUR RATING

Colin Firth and Emma Stone in Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.

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Comedy Drama Romance

A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

72K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination

Trivia
Wei Ling Soo, Stanley's on-stage persona, is a reference to Chung Ling Soo, the stage name of William Ellsworth Robinson (1861-1918), a popular magician in the U.S. and Europe for many years. Chung Ling Soo also tried to debunk spiritualists, and even wrote a book about it in 1898. A major difference is how carefully the men protect their Chinese personas. In this movie, people seem to be aware of Stanley's role as Wei Ling Soo. Robinson, very careful to protect his stage persona, lived as Chung, never breaking character while in public. He died on March 24, 1918 when a bullet catch trick went wrong. "My God, I've been shot!" were his last words and the first English words he had spoken on stage in nineteen years.

Goofs
In the first scene, during Wei Ling Soo's performance, the Chinese words on the backdrop are simplified Chinese characters, which were introduced in 1935 and not officially used in mainland China until the mid-1950s.

Quotes
Stanley: I can't forgive you, only God can forgive you.
[He begins to walk out the door]
Sophie: But you said there is no God.
Stanley: [stopping and turning for effect] Precisely my point.

Connections
Featured in Half in the Bag: 2014 Movie Catch-up: Part 1 (2014)

Soundtracks
You Do Something To Me
Composed by Cole Porter
Performed by Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
Courtesy of RCA Records by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User reviews203

Review

Featured review

6/10

What we got on our hands is a dead shark

"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark." - Alvy Singer

A gorgeous, sumptuous movie: wonderful cinematography, great, Jazz Age music (as well as Beethoven), the Cote d'Azur, Eileen Atkins, Colin Firth in full Mr. Darcy mode, Emma Stone what could possibly be amiss? Well, it seems in the midst of all the prettiness and lovely fixtures, Woody forgot to include some energy. The result is a film which, while sporadically quite enjoyable, and even funny, feels curiously airless. Falls into the category of Woody's oeuvre which includes "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", "Radio Days", "Melinda and Melinda", and "Scoop": movies which are not at all bad, but are almost instantly forgettable.