Woody Allen - Funny Guy

Advantages: Side-splitting, easily digestible short stories and plays
Disadvantages: Does not contain all his plays, e.g. "God" and "Death" omitted

...What is it about Woody Allen? My English teacher thinks he is a irredeemable misogynist who’s only saving grace is that he can play the clarinet. She cites his portrayal of women, the character Samantha Morton plays in Sweet and Low down was her prime example, as reason enough to not watch his films or read his books. She may have a point, after all, Mr. Allen’s private life seems to have more twisted relationships than American Beauty. The question is; do you subscribe to this opinion and consequently not read or watch any of his work? Or do you give the guy a chance to show just what a sheer comic genius he is? Mine has generally been the second opinion, I have enjoyed his films in the past, and have enjoyed listening to recordings of his late 60s stand-up. It was only by chance that I was in a book shop and saw “...

Jonzeh 07.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Complete Prose of Woody Allen - Woody Allen

Zany Zeitgeist

Advantages: funny, witty, silly, quirky
Disadvantages: a bit of an overdose

...I hadn't read any stories by Woody Allen for 27 years the reason being that he hadn't published any in book form, when I saw his latest collection of stories, I bought it at once. After more than a quarter of a century I didn't remember any details of his early stories but I remembered that they had amused me. The book contains 18 stories eight of which have never been in print before, nine were first published in The New Yorker, the others come from other magazines. Four stories begin with a paragraph from a newspaper article on some current zeitgeisty event, the others don't name the source where the author got his inspiration from but they also deal with what contemporary American urbanites (read: New Yorkers), mostly of Jewish descent, have on their minds or are worried by. What is that? To give you some idea: how to get in...

MALU 14.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mere Anarchy - Woody Allen

Woody Allen's finest hour.

Advantages: Funny, captivating.
Disadvantages: Must like slapstick humour.

...Woody Allen plays the part of Miles Monroe, a down-trodden chemist from 1973, who has been involved in an accident which necessitated him being frozen for 200 years. He is now woken and has to come to terms with his new surroundings, the huge technological advances of the last 200 years and the changes in people. These are all too much for him and he struggles to cope. Additionally he becomes involved in a rebel plot to oust the ruling government. He is in deep - way above his head! During his adventure he wins over Luna, a female hostage he is forced to take, played very well by Diane Keaton. Initially very scared by her captor's strange ways she comes to enjoy his company. Perhaps they will find an alternative to the universally accepted "Orgasmotron" which replaces physical contact in this new Utopia? After being invited into...

WoodsM_UK 16.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Sleeper (DVD)

Quirky romance from Woody Allen - what a surprise!

Advantages: acting
Disadvantages: pace

...My knowledge of Woody Allen is sufficiently weak that, I confess, it means nothing more than overtly sexual movies to me (and I have no idea whether I'm right there). Allen was more my parent's generation, but this movie had a great write up in the Telegraph last week, and so I dove right in. The movie tells the story of two girls, Vicky and Cristina, on holiday in Barcelona. Vicky is straight-laced and polite, adhering to all of society's most dull rules and regulations. Cristina, a fiery blonde, is somewhat shallower, and simply aims to have a good time. When local artist (and hunk) Jaun Antonio offers them both a night in his bed, the story takes a turn for both girls that surprises them. This is a quirky little romance, with unpredictability at its core. It's enjoyable, but not mind-blowing. Its core strength is...

bruffyboy 21.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (DVD)

One of Woody Allen's best films

Advantages: Very funny, beautiful photography
Disadvantages: A bit pretentious for some

...Love and Death sees Woody Allen's very contemporary persona placed in Russia in 1812. Allen plays Boris, a coward (told that he has a yellow streak down his back, Boris disagrees and says it runs across his back!) who spends most of his life day dreaming about his beautiful cousin Sonia (Diane Keaton). Inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace, the clash between Woody's wisecracking nebbish persona and the period setting is very funny. Boris somehow ends up being sentanced for execution for assassinating Napoleon's double. The opening sequence of Love and Death starts at this point before we go back to find out how Boris ended up there. "How I got into this predicament I'll never know," says Boris mournfully. "Absolutely incredible." The sweep of the opening scenes (rolling clouds) show very clearly that Allen has moved on from...

arthurpringle 30.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Love And Death (DVD)

Woody Allen's last great film

Advantages: Great cast, interesting themes
Disadvantages: Might be a bit portentious for some

...Crimes and Misdemeanors is the last great film of Woody Allen's long but slightly faded career. Inspired by the moral themes of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Allen muses on guilt and how fear of punishment is tied up in one's belief or lack of it. Martin Landau is terrific as Judah. Judah is a rich and respected ophthalmologist haunted by an afair he had with an airline stewardess (Angelica Huston). She threatens to blackmail him when he ends their relationship and, in desperate fear of having his reputation - and marriage - destroyed, Judah contacts his brother Jack (Jerry Orbach). Jack has not enjoyed the same social mobility as his brother and lives in an entirely different world - the criminal world. He offers to have Dolores killed and Judah - after first affecting outrage at such a suggestion - asks for it to be done...

arthurpringle 22.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Crimes And Misdemeanors (DVD)

Woody Allen in Tex Mex mystery

Advantages: Sometimes very funny
Disadvantages: Generally a bit odd

...Tex becomes sick of his wife's infidelity and murders her, burying her body in a remote location. Her severed hand is found by a blind woman in New Mexico, whose sight suddenly returns in the process, and becomes convinced that the hand must be that of the Virgin Mary. Taking it to her local village church, her case is followed by a series of other miracles. Word soon gets round, and before long, hordes of 'miracle tourists' invade the place, much to the local priest's consternation. When Tex hears about it, he hot-foots it to New Mexico, hoping to recover his wife's hand, followed closely by a police officer who is sure that Tex murdered his wife. Bedlam ensues, not helped by a team of Church people, who want proof of the miracle. Will Tex be caught? And will the village ever return to normal? I am not a fan of Woody Allen...

sunmeilan 11.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Picking Up The Pieces (DVD)

Woody Allen at his best

Advantages: Visually Stunning, great dialogue
Disadvantages: Woody Allen doesn't do DVD extras

...Manhattan is widely regarded as Woody Allen's tribute to the city he loves, and his affection for his home and its inhabitants is reflected in the tone of this film. It's atmospheric and beautifully shot, with some settings that would not be out of place on posters and postcards advertising the location. The black and white approach and George Gershwin soundtrack make it feel artistic while still accessible. His cinematographer also worked on The Godfather, so that may give you some point of reference for the visual tone. Add in the uniformly convincing performances of the cast and you can see why this film regularly makes 'Best Film' Lists. I first saw the film in my teens, and whilst at that age I couldn't sympathise much with some of the adult relationships in the film, I was impressed that this was something special. It...

allmodcons 28.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Manhattan (DVD)

Woody Allen Changing Tack

Advantages: Well shot, written and acted
Disadvantages: Might think it a bit pretentious or depressing

...Woody Allen has a gift for examining and exposing the inner workings of human relationships, and is well known for employing humour, bordering on slapstick, to emphasise this. However, his physical presence, sense of humour and let's be honest, his private life have all been factors in many of my friends declaring that they just can't like his work. What is not in doubt is that he is a critically acclaimed writer and director, and as a fan of a lot of his work, I'm likely to defend him anyway. However, I always mention Interiors as a film that might just change their minds - for a start, he's not in it. Also, there are no attempts at humour here; this is serious stuff, a raw examination of relationships within a disintegrating family unit. Interiors is often referred to as Bergman-influenced, and having only a sketchy knowledge...

allmodcons 13.12.2006 · Read review
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Review of Interiors (DVD)

Ignored Woody Allen Classic

Advantages: Funny & Clever
Disadvantages: Very short with no features

...Zelig - US - 1983 - 72mins Starring: Woody Allen & Diane Keaton Zelig is an early(ish) Woody Allen film. I?m not a big fan of Allen?s recent stuff but I like his earlier comedies such as Sleeper and Take The Money & Run. Set mainly in the 1930s this is a fantasy documentary about Leonard Zelig a human chameleon. Zelig has a peculiar talent for blending in with the people around him and because of this becomes a celebrity. The film is put together with use of an authoritative voice over and a mixture of contemporary interviews, altered black and white stock footage and photomontages. It is pretty funny but only laugh out loud in a few points. However it?s clever amusing and brilliantly done, as you would expect from Allen. There are of course a couple of great lines that make up for the slower pace of comedy. Try not to...

fraz1511 23.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Zelig (DVD)