Chinese conjuror Wei Ling Soo is the most celebrated magician of his age, but few know that he is the stage persona of Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth), a grouchy and arrogant Englishman with a sky-high opinion of himself and an aversion to phony spiritualists' claims. Persuaded by his friend, Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney), Stanley goes on a mission to the Côte d'Azur mansion of the Catledge family: mother Grace (Jacki Weaver), son Brice (Hamish Linklater), and daughter Caroline (Erica Leerhsen). He presents himself as a businessman named Stanley Taplinger in order to debunk the alluring young clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) who is staying there with her mother (Marcia Gay Harden). Sophie arrived at the Catledge villa at the invitation of Grace, who is convinced that Sophie can help her contact her late husband, and once there, attracted the attention of Brice, who has fallen for her head over heels.
I was not as delighted as I thought it would be ... Don't get me wrong it is a pleasant and charming movie but it is just not the best Allen one !
The script could have been sharper (the romance side didn't really work for me) and the dialogues wittier (still some great lines but not as many as usual ...).
But the actors are great and the re-creation of the 20's French Riviera (scenery + outfits) is gorgeous.
MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, WOODY ALLEN (2014)