I would call Love and Death one of Allen's goofiest, loosest comedies, if not the loosest and goofiest. Love and Death is a satire of Russian epic novels, with jokes about Ingmar Bergman and other intellectualist fodder thrown in. It's a zany, nonstop comedy with a remarkable performance from Diane Keaton, just a few years shy of her landmark role in Annie Hall. Some of the jokes went over my head but the entire enterprise is so light and breezy, it remains fun until the end.
tied with Manhattan Murder Mystery; 1993, with Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Anjelica Huston and Alan Alda
These 2 comedies, featuring a group of inept but plucky amateur detectives trying to get to the bottom of a mystery which may or may not exist, are what critics like to call "slight." They don't have any Grand Statements About Humanity. They give off the feeling that Allen got together with a bunch of friends or people he likes, threw a script together and went a-shootin'. Of course, the mysteries in these films are genuinely interesting and clever. Plus these movies are funny and they get funnier with time.
A twisted take on Ingmar Bergman's classic Wild Strawberries, Deconstructing Harry is perhaps one of Woody Allen's most "different" films. It features a large supporting cast, most of whom play characters written by Allen's character. The humor is edgier and R-rated and the film takes an extended trip into Hell. Deconstructing Harry is a bizarre but insightful comedy about what it takes to be a genius.
.jpg)
After a string of mediocre to bad comedies in the late 90s and early 2000s, Woody bounced back with this tense erotic drama-thriller about class and entitlement. With knockout performances, including one from a neurotic, shrewish Scarlett Johansson, and an air of claustrophobic paranoia, Match Point is unlike any other movie Woody Allen had ever made. It feels almost Hitchcockian with its suspense and convoluted but believable plot. I credit Match Point for reinvigorating Woody Allen's career and it is really a reminder that Allen has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
Woody Allen has never been shy about quoting his influences in his films. And like he did with Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock, Allen is directly referencing Federico Fellini's classic Amarcord here. Radio Days, about a young boy living in Brooklyn in the 1940s, is a series of vaguely connected vignettes about WWII America. It's a personal film, the closest Allen ever got to a full autobiography. The large cast and the sharp, insightful script make the 1940s come alive
A sensitive, romantic but tragic piece, Purple Rose provides 80s-era Woody Allen favorite Mia Farrow with her best performance and role. It's a quiet film about the love of cinema and all that comes with it. The air of doomed romance hovering over this film gives it a melancholic beauty that had been missing in Allen's work since the late 70s. Purple Rose is a gem of a film, a sweet story with a dynamite ending.
For a lot of people, Annie Hall is THE Woody Allen film. Its nonlinear narrative, use of flashbacks and split screens, fantasy sequences, musical selections and sad ending were all unique to the film industry at the time. What makes Annie Hall so special is just how ordinary it is underneath all the technical mastery. Annie Hall and Alvy Singer feel like two people you might see on the street. Of course, this is Diane Keaton's signature performance. Her work here as a woman who learns so much from her lover that she surpasses him professionally, intellectually and emotionally is especially brilliant. The script is as powerful as ever and the jokes remain fresh and funny.
Using Spain as a backdrop, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is without a doubt the best looking film Allen has ever made. The vibrant colors and stunning locales make a perfect setting for this existential romance about five people all searching for something they can't identify. The cast is uniformly excellent, with Penelope Cruz and Rebecca Hall giving the best performances. The music is sublime, trading in Allen's usual jazz for the Spanish guitar. Crushing doubt, insecurity and loss is at the center of this film, themes that Allen has touched on in a few of his previous films. Of course, Spain and the beautiful cast make such emotional crises look glamorously surreal.
Hannah and Her Sisters is like the 80s version of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But instead of the Spanish summer, this film covers an entire Manhattan year. Woody Allen movies tend to be a little on the cynical side or at least have some kind of bittersweet ending. But Hannah is a much more optimistic film, even though the characters suffer from a general malaise throughout. Dianne Wiest is the standout here as a neurotic, doubtful woman who comes into her own just before a total meltdown. This film is contemplative and thoughtful, with chapter headings and inner monologues. It plays out like a novel, going from character to character, subplot to subplot with ease and swiftness.
Shot in a nostalgic black and white, Manhattan takes aninsightful look at the relationships of a few flawed but self-aware individuals. It features my favorite performance from Woody himself as a man who just can't seem to get it right when it comes to women. The soundtrack is absolutely magical, the dialogue is poetic and lyrical and the film has a sprawling epic feel even though its themes and situations are decidedly small-scale. Manhattan is famous for being loved by the public but inexplicably hated by Woody Allen. I'll never understand what Woody sees in Manhattan that makes him hate it so much. But for me, it is his definitive masterpiece.
With a career that goes back into the late 60s, it was extremely hard to pick just 10 movies for the list. I tried to take a few from each decade that represented his best from that period.
Here are some honorable mentions:
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Stardust Memories (1980)
Interiors (1978)
Blue Jasmine is now playing in NY and Los Angeles and should be heading into wide release either August 2nd or August 9th.
1 comment:
Love woody allen, but I have to say, I think Scoop was a terrible film. Scarlett Johannsen failed miserably in her attempt at comedic timing. She's just no Diane Keaton and it was obvious she was trying to mirror her acting style.
Otherwise, love all the other pics!
Post a Comment