There is Not Much Magic in the Moonlight

After the success and acclaim of Woody Allen's last two films, Blue Jasmine (2013), and Midnight in Paris (2011), Allen has missed the mark with his latest film, Magic in the Moonlight. The movie stars Colin Firth as Stanley, the great magician "Wei Ling Soo", who is a true pessimist that finds great pleasure in debunking Psychic Mediums. The Medium he is trying to unmask this time is the incredibly upbeat Sophie Baker, played by Emma Stone.  

The movie began similar to a classic 1920's film, with the credits rolled over a black screen. Magic felt like an awkward throwback to the 1920's in cinema; the staging of the actors, the writing, and the sets all felt like a stage play rather than a movie. Many of the elements simply felt stiff or too overdone. 

It is unfortunate and uncreative of Allen to return to France in the 1920's; the same time and setting of most of Midnight in Paris. In many ways, Magic seemed to be resting on the shoulders of Midnight, not just because of the plot, but also because Magic's score was incredibly similar to that of Midnight's. For Magic in the Moonlight the soundtrack failed to be unique and became extremely repetitive.

The worst offense Allen has committed against the audience is the fact that the 97 minute film felt much more like 120 minutes, which did not support the script or pacing of the movie.
The one positive I can say about Magic, is that the cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. Darius Khondji did a fantastic job bringing us into the world of the 1920's South of France. 

Overall, Magic in the Moonlight felt immature and disappointing. There were some charming moments but they were not enough to make up for all of the film's shortcomings. It's safe to say you can save yourself some time and money by skipping this movie.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Rise Above the Rest

Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn, at its core is the most heartwarming and friendship orientated Marvel movie to date. The film stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, A.K.A Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon, full of cybernetic enhancements, Dave Bautista as the revenge-oriented alien Drax, and Vin Diesel voices Groot. This film has a classic storyline; a band of misfits put aside their differences and come together to save the universe.
The real charm of this film comes from its cast. Pratt brings a boyish charm as Quill, a human trying to find his way around an alien galaxy and Saldana breathes life and empathy into the lost alien assassin Gamora. Cooper especially rises to the challenge of turning a bad-talking raccoon into a likable mainstream character. The best character of film, however, is the humanoid tree Groot. During the 121 minute running time, Groot doesn't say much, in fact, he can really only say the words "I", "am", "Groot" and only in that order but this tree of little words still manages to steal your heart with his unbiased acceptance and playful attitude.
As enjoyable as this movie is, Guardians still has its weak points. Gamora's adoptive sister, Nebula, played by Karen Gillian, is part-alien, part-cybernetic enhancements. Nebula half being made up of metal, however, is no excuse for Gillian's stiff performance of the character. Ronin, who is portrayed by Lee Pace, also falls disappointedly flat, giving a lackluster performance as the film's main villain, a zealous genocidal alien.
Honestly it's no wonder why this movie is a Summer Blockbuster because Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely a must-see for friends and family alike.
Honorable Mention: The soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy is full of 70's and 80's classic songs and is truly the icing on top of this already amazing movie.

Spike Jonze's Her shines

I have always loved Spike Jonze. I think he makes really interesting films that push what we would consider to be normal. He tells stories that challenge traditional conventions and i have always appreciated that in a director.

Adaptation and Being John Malkcovich are two of my favorite films for exactly those reasons. Adaptation even takes it a step further by blatantly employing all of the traditional Hollywood techniques in order t open viewers up to how formulaic movies can be.

Her is no different in what is trying to accomplish.

Her was one of my favorite movies of the year and I think that is because it was super weird.