Woody Allen: Film by Film Thread

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by RayS, Aug 29, 2015.

  1. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    I plan to listen to it this weekend...and maybe give C&M another re-watch before or after.
     
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  2. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    Speaking of re-watching, I watched You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger this week for the first time since seeing it in the theater in 2010. (I have a constant loop of rewatching the films in the order of release.)

    I had been pleasantly surprised the first time around and I still enjoyed it this time. It's kind of a tart little movie and I enjoy most of the plot and plot twists. The acting is very good as usual but Anthony Hopkins was even better than I remembered. Quietly devastating in his last scenes.

    I did break my own chronological rule and watched Love and Death last week when I was recovering from my second vaccination. It was the best medicine.
     
  3. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower Thread Starter

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    I love the notion that is at the heart of "Tall Dark Stranger" - the dumber you are and the more nonsense you believe in, the happier you will be. :)
     
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  4. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.

    I wish you would have been here five years ago, John!

    Your post made me realize I haven’t watched this in five years or so, so I threw it in tonight. Our OP still has excellent criticisms, but I’d still maintain most don’t really bother me, aside from the “which friend died” bit, which is virtually inexcusable. But I don’t think I’d change more than a word or two of what I wrote in 2016 (below). To me, this is still a very entertaining film, aside from its shift in TONE (from light-hearted to dark), which I don’t think was executed well...

    Having not watched most of these films since the thread was “current,” I may have to spin the occasional film again!

     
  5. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Anyone ever just watch trailers of Woody films on YouTube or something? I go a few years without seeing them and can just cue up a few trailers and remember the sparks...

    Yes, I know that sounds o_O!
     
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  6. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    You know, for the romantic side, I'm thinking maybe more Paul Simon.
     
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  7. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    I’ve just discovered another reason to hate Rainy Day: I hadn’t previously noticed that the Elle Fanning character was ... Sondra Plansky (Scoop: Scarlett Johansson)!

    I mean, I’ve seen all his films, and I know he sometimes goes overboard with recycling concepts, but I like the concepts, so I generally let it go. He’s gone “too far” a few times for me, particularly making Everyone Says I Love You with the same plot setup as Another Woman (overheard psychiatrist’s conversations) and Match Point, which replicates much of Crimes and Misdemeanors. Match Point is still pretty good for me, but the similarities do knock it down a bit in my estimation.

    Hadn’t seen Scoop in several years and threw it on tonight. I’m sure whatever I wrote in this thread several years ago probably still stands, but I hadn’t noticed that ScarJo comes into the film as a flighty blonde college newspaper journalist trying to interview a famous film director, who she quickly becomes infatuated with. Sound familiar?

    DEFINITELY the weakest idea he needed to reproduce in a later film!
     
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  8. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    I loved your comments and I basically completely agreed with them...though the OPs criticisms are valid too. The "which friend died" bit was jarring as I didn't remember it unfolding that way. The last scene with Naomi Watts and her mother is devastating to me--she has humored or ignored her mother's belief in the fortune teller and now she is facing the consequences.

    It is actually a very interesting film to watch back to back with Midnight in Paris (which I did last week). The healthy cynicism of YWMATDS is replaced by warmth and forgiveness, and really, a very winning turn by Owen Wilson. But this group plowed that ground many pages ago--I'll go back and re-read those posts.
     
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  9. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    You know, this is a great point. And how many of his movies have a character struggling to finish writing his/her book?
     
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  10. albert_m

    albert_m Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atl., Ga, USA
    I finally watched Rainy Day the other night on Amazon.

    I didn't mind the familiar territory, but the lead wasn't very good, or likeable etc. Fanning was a little better. I thought Selena Gomez was better than those two. Overall, a better cast could have made the relatively fine, but generic Woody script better.
     
  11. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    I atched Rainy again over the weekend. I prefer Rifkin. My problem with Ramy is less the lead and more the fact he's pretty obnoxious. I don't think his moment of realisation works, to be honest.
     
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  12. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    So, if you Google translate this article, Storaro says that he is scheduled to shoot the new Woody Allen movie in Paris in August, pandemic permitting.

    Storaro, io tra Bertolucci e Woody Allen - Ultima Ora

    or better yet, The Woody Allen Pages has an article about this in English.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2021
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  13. mike s in nyc

    mike s in nyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    new york, NY
    great news that Woody is (pandemic permitting) shooting a new film in Paris starting in August. The bit I read (in the Woody Allen pages, i think?) gave a hint that it might be something similar in tone to 'match point'.. I guess we'll see, tho it'll take a long time before the film is done, released, and then somehow filters thru something-or-other to make it to where those of us in the states can see it are able to, somehow.

    Thinking about Rifkin vs Rainy day in NY, it occurs to me that both films have lead actors who I generally like (Wally Shawn and Timothee Chalamet) but in part, the problem I have with both films (not that there wasn't things to enjoy) was ... Wally Shawn was too old for the role and Chalamet was too young? -----And its not that the Chalamet role wasn't written to be young, but those 'oh let me compare you to cole porter' stuff just felt strange coming from a 20 year old character. Shawn, in Rifkin, just seemed like he could not have been someone that the doctor character would ever think of as a love interest. And I'll say finally that Chalamet is probably the better actor in general, tho Shawn is an incredibly likeable and charming presence always. At some point I need to see both films again.
     
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  14. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Finally saw Rifkin, it is no masterpiece and parts of it are very irritating indeed (the thing with the doctor), however some enjoyable moments (mainly the dreams) 5 or 6 out of 10, streets ahead of Rainy Day which would probably be a 3/10 for me.
     
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  15. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    Hi all:

    I just wanted to say that I re-watched To Rome with Love today and it was a real kick to go back and read your thoughts on the movie. You all made a lot of great points (and funny ones, too).

    Take care…
     
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  16. John Lucey

    John Lucey Forum Resident

    Quick question, hopefully not too off-topic:
    Is Picking Up The Pieces worth watching? I’ve only heard dreadful things about it but I’m still a little curious…
     
  17. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower Thread Starter

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    It's awful. Perhaps the worst movie he was ever associated with.

    But if you're interested in all things Woody, go for it.
     
  18. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    I agree with Ray - pretty awful. Paris-Manhattan has a lot of charm if you want something obscure and Woody-related.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2021
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  19. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    Worse than Scenes from a Mall?
     
  20. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower Thread Starter

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Oh yeah. Considerably. Not funny, and exceptionally sub-mental.
     
  21. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    Must be bad! I remember watching the trailer for Mall then seeing the film and realising the trailer was the best of it!
     
  22. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    The trailer looked awful. I can only imagine how bad the film was.
     
  23. mike s in nyc

    mike s in nyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    new york, NY
    I saw 'picking up the pieces' when it was released, which is about four years ago now? I remember thinking it was not great, and fairly weak compared to other Woody films, (definitely in the bottom third) but that seeing Woody and Elaine May as a couple was interestingly done and that Elaine May was a great joy to watch. Its not great, by any means, but I don't remember hating it. I saw 'scenes from a mall' only when it was released, didn't love it, but it was a slightly fun watch, as I vaguely remember.

    EDIT- ah, forget this, I was confusing 'picking up the pieces' with 'crisis in six scenes'. lol!
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
  24. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower Thread Starter

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    You are confusing "Picking Up the Pieces" with "Crisis in Six Scenes".
     
  25. mike s in nyc

    mike s in nyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    new york, NY
    Ha, you're right!!! what was i thinking!? . so now I'm trying to remember what 'picking up the pieces' is? something that I never saw, perhaps?
     
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