Woody Allen seems to make a lot of “kind of cute, decent movies” and a few “really good movies”. This one is in the “kind of cute” category. One thing that was difficult to get past – a romance between a grown man, and a woman young enough to be his daughter. Really? Maybe someone needs to have an honest chat with Woody.
Tag Archives: Woody Allen
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
When did Woody Allen spit this one out? I can barely keep up with Woody Allen’s movies, and all I have to do is watch them… He has to actually make them. I frankly don’t know how he does this. Anyway, this one has all the usual hallmarks. It was just silly fun, that might actually make you think about things. Basically the movie follows a cast of characters who reverse roles as the movie progresses. At first, one has a life in chaos, and all the others are on the rise. By the end, that same one is doing well, and everyone else is in chaos. The fun part about it is that the stories are hardly cut-and-dry, and the plot is linear. You might think this is what’s going to happen, but it’s not really clear until the very end. It’s a rare movie that uses every frame to tell the story. This one does.
Midnight in Paris
Only Woody Allen could pull off a movie with a plot as goofy as it is good. In fact, this movie is perhaps best at its goofiest. As for that plot? A writer on the verge of marrying a high-maintenance rich girl time-travels back to paris in the 20s & hangs out with historical characters who are caricatures of themselves. He has this illusion that “some other time” is far more interesting than his own present. But, eventually comes to realize that every time is the past of some other future. It’s just hard to see the perspective from where we stand. So, make the most of right now! It’s a message that we can’t hear too often… and one that’s charmingly done here.
Whatever Works
For the first half of this movie, all I could think was how annoying Larry David was, and it bugged the heck out of me. For the second half, all I could think was how annoying Larry David was… and it kind of worked.
Warning: This contains the usual Woody Allen trope of an unappealing old guy hooking up with an attractive young woman for no believable reason… you just have to look past it.
Vickie Cristina Barcelona
I saw this… Then saw Woody Allen’s earlier movies… And I have to say, he’s really matured as a filmmaker. You might think you’ve seen every “young american goes abroad and discovers passion” movie, but this was so much more.
Annie Hall
Woody Allen finds his footing. The movie does seem to go on and on and on with little point, then abruptly ends. But, I guess that’s like life… And that kind of is the point.
Small Time Crooks
Charming Woody Allen movie with a classic plot about crime gone wrong… in an unexpected fashion. If you like him, you’ll like this. If you don’t? I don’t know…
Take the Money and Run
Woody Allen’s second (by some measures) movie… maybe you could call it his first. It’s interesting to watch just to see how Woody Allen’s style has developed… but is it a great movie on its own merit? Well, not really… But, all the same, I don’t feel like I wasted time watching this.
Sweet and Lowdown
Thoroughly entertaining. This is the story of Emmet Ray, a jazz guitar virtuoso from the early part of the 1900’s. To be honest, I don’t even know if there actually was an actual person, or whether it was all an elaborate “made-up documentary” by Woody Allen (I’d find that amusing if true). Well, I suppose I could figure it out with a little investigation next time I go on-line. Anyway, it’s a good fun character-study movie, Sean Penn did a great job. Anyone wanna go shoot rats at the dump and look at trains?
Sleeper
One of my favorite woody allen movies. I have a real hard time telling them apart (except this one)… in fact, I really don’t understand how he keeps making them… and making them good. This one is a bit different, Woody takes his shtick to the future, or outer space or some crazy thing like that.