From October 2010 to October 2011 I revisited each film from writer, director, and actor Woody Allen in preparation for 2011 – the 40th anniversary of the release of what is considered by many to be Allen’s first film, Bananas. Of course he did release a few films prior, but it was Bananas that was the first to begin the yearly string of releases that came to be known as the quintessential Woody Allen film.
Allen has for years been one of my top five favorite directors, and looking back at his long career (one film per year for 40 years) it’s really quite astounding. Sure, it’s true that most of the time Allen doesn’t branch out nearly as much as other filmmakers. But there is a particular and familiar universe that he has created and lives in 99% of the time, and it’s a style all his own, a world where he invites you into every year – to meet new characters, and the stories they have to tell.
My reviewing skills are admittedly not very strong, and the famous quote from Truman Capote – “it isn’t writing at all – it’s typing” – is never more prevalent than with these short reviews, but none the less this was very fun for me to revisit all these movies again over the past months – and exciting to share at least a few of my basic thoughts to the world (ha!) on one of my top five favorite filmmakers. The timing couldn’t be more fitting as well not only because of the 40th anniversary of Bananas, but because that year saw the release, surprisingly enough, of Allen’s biggest financial success in the United States – Midnight in Paris. These are in order of release, beginning with 1971’s Bananas and ending with 2011’s Midnight in Paris.
Woody Allen
A Ghostlife Retrospective
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Once you get past the insanely annoying and twatty-sounding narrator, this is quite a fun little movie. Sure, it’s kind of the usual basic Allen plot lines – some sort of romantic entanglements – be them serious, funny, or silly – but for this movie the plot to me is not what drives this one. For me it’s more of the smaller moments – the moments that are so charming they more than make up for some of the few downfalls which are really annoying (the afore-mentioned narrator; the boyfriend character of Rebecca Hall). You have the Spanish soundtrack which is a welcome change from the usual Allen big band choices. The affectionate relationship Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) has with his father. The gorgeous Barcelona scenery and the warm glow of the cinematography its shrouded in. The contrast in outlooks on life and love that bonds the two main characters. The casting is great – including Patricia Clarkson who is underused but always welcome in just about any film she appears. The calm, quiet and charming confidence of Bardem’s character and performance. And then Penélope Cruz shows up and just steals the movie as Gonzalo’s sort of ex-wife, and an unstable one at that. I’d never really seen her in many movies before, so I didn’t understand her potential, but it was obvious for me in this one what a talent she is. Maybe seeing her firecracker of a character screaming and yelling in the streets of her home country in her native tongue is what it took for me, but WHATEVER WORKS, she is fantastic in this – very funny – and just a beautiful and perfect performance. Despite a few flaws this is surprisingly well-rounded film and shows when Allen branches out beyond his comfort zone – just a little bit – his skills as a writer and director – still to this day – become more apparent than one would think.
A-
2008