Movie review: Magic in the Moonlight

Allen writes and directs but allows the acting honours to go to sublime British actor Colin Firth and young, wide-eyed American Emma Stone.

They are pitted against one another in an exploration of the world of spiritualism, where Firth’s character, Stanley Crawford, sets out to debunk claims Sophie Baker (Stone), a clairvoyant, can communicate with the spirits of the departed. Stanley, a world-famous master magician and debunker of mystics, accepts two basic tenets: there is no afterlife and, as a result, anyone claiming to talk to the dead is employing some form of trickery.

There is a wonderful acerbic quality to the character that Firth pulls off brilliantly, offering some witty repartee.

Woody Allen’s characters are often saddled with doubt and self-loathing but this is not in evidence here, which makes a refreshing change.

Allen, who turns 80 next year, has not created a masterpiece. This is devoid of the smarmy, vulgar elements of past achievements, but overall it’s a sprightly enough romcom to engage the viewer.