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
Midnight in Paris
This one has been hard to fully digest as I have only seen it twice. “Only” – and it only came out a few weeks ago (well, when I wrote this)! HA! However, I am still able to report that this is a fantastic movie, and surprisingly so. I was very excited for this release but for some reason my expectations weren’t so hot. I like Owen Wilson quite a bit, but for some reason I wasn’t convinced he would be a good lead in such a movie, but my assumptions proved incorrect as he does a fantastic job in the role. His performance is very funny, very natural, and he luckily doesn’t try to imitate Woody Allen in any way, which a lot of actors seem to attempt when Allen isn’t in the film (see Kenneth Branagh in Celebrity). Midnight in Paris is just very very fun – and breezy! I love that description, can you tell? BREEZY! Gil (Wilson) is engaged to Inez (Rachel McAdams) and is on vacation with her parents in Paris. He decides to take a late night stroll, and the next thing he knows – when the clock strikes midnight – he is transported to his golden age, Paris of the 1920’s, and ends up meeting and hanging out with many artists of the time (Cole Porter, Salvador Dali, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, etc). He then meets Adriana – who is currently dating Pablo Picasso, of course, (the ridiculously beautiful and charming Marion Cotillard) and his plan on where his romantic and professional future is headed – his reality of 2010 – becomes altered forever. The casting is fantastic (even the First Lady of France Carla Bruni does a good job in a small role as a tourist guide), the sets are beautiful, and Paris looks simply gorgeous – and this coming from someone who is yet to be convinced of the beauty of Paris. I know, I know, I’m weird. This is a very very fun movie, funny, silly and very charming all around, and I can’t recommend it enough.
A-
2011