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Since October of 2010 I’ve been revisiting each film from writer, director, and actor Woody Allen in preparation for this year – 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 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 new year –  to meet new characters, and the stories they have to tell.

My reviewing skills are admittedly not very strong, and the above quote from Capote – “it isn’t writing at all – it’s typing”  - is never more prevalent than with this post, 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 this year saw the release, surprisingly enough, of Allen’s biggest financial success in the United States -Midnight in Paris. This is a series of four posts – one per week over the course of a month – each including reviews of ten of Allen’s films.  These are in order of release, with this the second in the series covering his films Zelig through Shadows and Fog.

Part 1 in the series can be found here :
http://ghostlifeghostlife.com/2011/10/04/woody-allen-1971-1982/

Any and all Oscar nominations are noted under each of my “reviews”, and click on the posters for the trailers!

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Zelig (1983) | B
It’s quite interesting to me when I look up the box office numbers on this movie and see that it made upon its release in 1983 today’s equivalent of about $26 million. It just seems unfathomable to me that such a film could even be released, never mind making a fair amount of cash.  Just goes to show how popular Woody Allen was back in the day that something like this could even do relatively well. It’s great it did because it’s such a unique film, and a great one at that.  Zelig is a “mockumentary” about fictional character Leonard Zelig, played by Allen, who is the world’s first human chameleon – able to transform his appearance to that of anyone who surrounds him.  The film takes place in the 1920′s and thus it’s filmed in the style of newsreels from that time, which helps convey the fact that Zelig became a celebrity due to his unique ability.  With the use of bluescreen technology, they convincingly have Zelig hanging out with Calvin Coolidge, Adolf Hitler, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth and Josephine Baker, just to name a few. Zelig is 28 years old now and the effects are still incredibly impressive. In fact if one didn’t know who Woody or Mia Farrow (who plays a doctor researching his “condition”) were, I could see one being possibly fooled by the effects, although probably not by the story. I haven’t seen this movie too many times, as it’s more of an amusement than a great movie with great performances, but it is definitely worth seeing for its unique story and style.

Nominations | Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design

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Broadway Danny Rose (1984) | B
This one is propelled to greatness by fantastic comedic performances by Woody Allen and Mia Farrow – playing against type as much as they can in an Allen film (especially when you ARE Woody Allen).  He plays a very Italian talent agent (mixed with his neurotic Jewish side), Danny Rose, who tries to reconcile one of his top clients with his mistress (Farrow), only to be mistakenly seen as her lover, which upsets certain members of the Italian community he lives in.  The type of characters Allen and Farrow portray in this film might be perceived on paper to be annoying and a disaster waiting to happen, but they play their characters beautifully and it only continues the great chemistry they had on the silver screen during the 80′s.  Shot in lovely black & white and showcasing New York again as it was in the slightly grungier 1980′s, this is fun one to watch.  Not one of his best, but great all the while.

Nominations | Best Director, Best Screenplay

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The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) | A-
Any movies that are itself a celebration of cinema just hits a real soft spot with me.  Mia Farrow plays Cecilia, a woman unhappy in her marriage with her cheating, abusing husband (played by Danny Aiello) and unhappy with where the effects of the Great Depression have led her in life.  So to escape the doldrums of her current day-to-day, she goes to the cinema for every new release to get lost in that week’s fantasy.  After seeing The Purple Rose of Cairo a few times, her unspoken wishes come true when the lead character on screen (Jeff Daniels) breaks the barrier with real life and jumps out of the screen – bringing himself into Cecilia’s world and helping her escape her real life on a whole different level. Meanwhile back at the theater, the remaning cast members sit around on screen waiting for the return of their lead, and the theater patrons & management are up in arms as to what to do.  This is one of those movies where only one word can sum it up – “charming”.  Fun movie and one of Allen’s most unique movies.

Nominations | Best Screenplay

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Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) | B
A fine cast that includes Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow and the always fantastic Dianne Wiest rounds out this story about a group of family and friends (specifically, Hannah – and her sisters) and their intertwined searches for love – past and present. Similar in style to other Allen films that see-saw between drama and comedy – this one also adds more of a romantic vibe to it, which itself see saws between nauseating and fantastic. Ultimately it’s a good film, but not his greatest (despite this being one of Allen’s bigger box office successes). Luckily the splashes of comedy help, and specifically (and coming from one who thinks sneezing means impending death) it’s very funny to see my own health worries played out through Allen’s (surprise!) neurotic hypochondriac character, Mickey Sachs.

Awards | Best Actor (Caine), Best Supporting Actress (Wiest), Best Screenplay
Nominations | Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction

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Radio Days (1987) | A
This is one of the few, if not only comedy of Allen’s that doesn’t need to venture into near slapstick territory to be really fun to watch. While still changing the names of the characters, this is very clearly one of Allen’s most autobiographical, depicting the early teen years of his childhood in the days when families gathered around the radio in its golden age instead of the televisions and computers of today. The cast is fantastic, including of course Mia Farrow (wow – that accent!), and then the charming Dianne Wiest, Julie Kavner, Wallace Shawn and one of the first roles from Seth Green, who plays Joe – the Allen character.  They all fill this insanely nostalgic film with perfect comedic performances next to its beautiful art direction (Oscar nod), which in my view makes this an instant classic on par with A Christmas Story.  Of course it isn’t a seasonal classic, but the quality is right up there, if not better. It’s hard to beat funny sequences including a segment depicting one’s reaction to The War of the Worlds radio drama that confused so many listeners, and the opening segment when a radio show calls a home and the phone is answered by burglars who have just broken into it.  Essentially the film is a series of comedic vignettes about those unique days of radio, but they are sewn together perfectly under the guise of Allen.  Highly recommended. And keep an eye out for Larry David who plays a very small part in one of his few roles in an Allen movie.  Just listen for the yelling, if you watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, you can’t miss it.

Nominations | Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction

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September (1987) | C
Ahhh yes, this one. September. I think this one has fallen through the cracks for so many reasons. Primarily I think because it’s a drama but as it runs it’s course it simply doesn’t have much to say. It has a small plot of course, but it doesn’t take the viewer on much of a ride or a journey at all, and by the end (and thankfully it’s only 80 minutes long) it feels mostly like an empty vessel.  Even the poster you see above seems to convey something quite severe, a dramatic, profound and sad event in a woman’s life, but it’s misleading. Nothing really happens.  ”Having said that”, despite taking place entirely in one Vermont summer-house, the movie conveys wonderfully through its lighting and sound a warm summer evening, which itself creates half the atmosphere this film needs.  And perhaps its the dialogue, or the cinematography, but this movie doesn’t just feel like an adaptation of a play, but it feels like you’re seeing a play that has been filmed right in the theater. Supposedly this was Woody’s intention with this, so job well done! The screenplay is just obviously written for the stage through and through, and that is another plus in the few charms it has.  And of course it being practically a play, it showcases some great actors and performances, especially the wonderful Elaine Stritch who has done a lot of stage work in her career. Maybe it’s just me, but I just find her charming in anything I’ve seen her in. Dianne Wiest is also fantastic, and nice to see her doing a full on dramatic role in one of Allen’s films, not just semi-dramatic or comedic.  Overall this isn’t a good film, or a bad film, it’s just sort of there, sitting quietly and content with itself in Woody’s back catalog.  Worth seeing of course for its own uniqueness, but save it as one of your last.

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Another Woman (1988) | B
It’s hard to go wrong when a movie has Martha Plimpton in it, and uses the beautiful composition 3 Gymnopedies : Gymnopedie No 1 (written by Erik Satie), but this film did have to make Allen devotees worry a bit upon its release.  Not because of its quality, but because it was his second drama in a row – when he had only made 3 dramas total of the 20 films he had released at that time. Luckily it’s a good film, yet one of his least remembered movies, despite a great performance from Gina Rowlands about a woman going through a mid-life crisis.  She ends up finding ways to work through it, guided by her overhearing the psychiatrist who lives next door helping another woman going through her own crisis – who that threatens her life.  It’s not as heavy as it sounds, and unlike many dramas, Allen knows to keep it short. Clocking in at 80 minutes, it’s the perfect amount of time to show a glimpse into this woman’s life – and is a strong element to what makes this movie a success.

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Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) | B+
Once in a while Allen doesn’t seem to be able to make up his mind what his next film should be, a comedy or a drama.  So why not do both? That’s exactly what he decided to do in this interesting little film. The drama side revolves around Dr Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) whose mistress (Angelica Huston) is trying to reveal their affair to his wife.  It leads to Rosenthal taking very selfish and ghastly actions, which only leads to different and terrible levels of guilt he hadn’t thought about beforehand.  On the comedic side, Cliff (Allen) has been hired by his big time TV producer brother-in-law (Alan Alda), whom he despises, to make a documentary about him. While in production me meets Halley (Mia Farrow) and falls for her instantly.  Cliff is of course now cheating on his wife in hopes that a future with Halley is in the cards, but she may not be entirely ready or even interested.  Both stories are convincingly portrayed, and having the very heavy-handed story of Rosenthal broken up with the light-hearted Cliff story makes it much more tolerable. Makes you wonder if Allen had done the same with Interiors and September then they might have also been more enjoyable – as when he does drama, it is drama in the truest sense of the word. Either way this is a rewarding move to watch – just be prepared for a total night and day experience.

Nominations | Best Supporting Actor (Landau), Best Director, Best Screenplay

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Oedipus Wrecks (a segment in New York Stories) (1989) | B
Allen wrote, directed and starred in the final segment of this collection of shorts by New York’s most famous filmakers.  The other directors were Martin Scorcese and Francis Ford Coppola (who co-wrote his segment with his daughter and future director Sofia Coppola).  It’s a fluffy bit of cinema, but clever and cute all the same, especially the performance by Mae Questel.  She plays the mother of Allen’s character, Sheldon, and an overbearing one at that.  When she disappears during a magic act at a performance he and his fiance (Mia Farrow) takes her to, Sheldon thinks his worries have disappeared, but she returns in the grandest, most over-bearing fashion imaginable. What at first seems to be a situation that is simply too much to take, Sheldon soon comes to realize he not only misses his mother, but she is a bigger and more positive influence in his life than he ever realized.  Trademark Allen – funny and light all the same.

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Alice (1990) | B+
This is another one of Allen’s “breezy” and “whimsical” movies, the type that are always good to watch no matter what mood you are in.  Alice, played by Mia Farrow, is an upper class stay-at-home Mom who gradually realizes she is looking for something new in her life, be it a new love or simply a more meaningful existence.  With the aid of some ancient herbs from a mystical Chinese acupuncturist (with “side effects” like her inner flirt coming out, becoming invisible, and see ghosts from the past), Alice sees a clearer picture of her life and the direction it needs to lead.  Farrow is fantastic and charming as always, and helps this feel like one of Allen’s most complete (yet, least remembered) films.

Nominations | Best Screenplay

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Shadows and Fog (1991) | A
This is one of my absolute favorite of Allen’s films. Sadly it’s one that was overlooked at the time of its release and thus it’s now a bit of a forgotten gem.  Beautifully shot in black and white, it appears to take place somewhere in Germany or eastern Europe in the early 1900′s. The main plot revolves a group of vigilantes who have taken to the street to hunt down ‘The Strangler’ who has been killing off locals – and Kleinman (Allen), who is reluctantly drawn into the hunt.  That Allen is able to take such elements as black & white cinematography, eastern Europe and murder so funny and enjoyable is quite a credit to his comedic talent. He balances the dire surroundings with his usual one-liners and physical comedy, and the cast is fantastic.  Kathy Bates, John Cusack, Mia Farrow, Jodie Foster, Julike Kavner, Madonna, John Malkovich, Donald Pleasance, Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers, Lily Tomlin and others.  It’s probably just me, but the mix of atmosphere, Allen’s humor and this cast, it’s fantastic from beginning to end.

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COMING NEXT WEEK :  Husbands and Wives through Small Time Crooks

Since October of 2010 I’ve been revisiting each film from writer, director, and actor Woody Allen in preparation for this year – 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 began 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 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 new year –  to meet new characters, and the stories they have to tell.

My reviewing skills are admittedly not very strong, and the above quote from Capote – “it isn’t writing at all – it’s typing”  - is never more prevalent than with this post, 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 this year saw the release, surprisingly enough, of Allen’s biggest financial success in the United States – Midnight in Paris. This will actually be a series of four posts – one per week over the next month – each including reviews of ten of Allen’s films.  These will be in order of release, beginning in this post with 1971′s Bananas and ending with 1982′s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy.

Any and all Oscar nominations are note under each of my “reviews”, and click on the posters for the trailers!

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Bananas (1971) | A-
Although there were a couple movies that came prior to this, I start with Bananas as to me it was the official start of the “fully realized” and quintessential Allen cinematic experience.  This was in his prime when it came to slapstick comedy – and even though there is a plot and basic outline, it’s clear this film started out as a series of sketches that ended up having to be tied together with some sort of story.  That story – and I say that loosely – revolves around Allen finding himself reluctantly leading a rebel movement against the dictatorship of the tiny fictional Caribbean nation of San Marcos, and soon becomes that nation’s new president.  But that’s all you need to know, as the pure intention here is slapstick humor – and it succeeds wildly.  The first 15 minutes are classic self-deprecating Allen, including a run in on the subway with Sylvester Stallone, and it’s only uphill from there.

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Play It Again, Sam (1972) | B+
This is one of less than a handful of movies Woody Allen was heavily involved in but did not direct, but he did write the screenplay based on his own Broadway play of the same name.  He is also the lead actor, so, it counts in my book.  Allen plays, well, Allan, a San Franciscan who has gone through another divorce, and with the help of his friends (played by Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts) he decides to hit the dating scene again. Despite trying to keep up appearances, things don’t always go so well, with Allen’s usual hilarious slapstick comedy accenting his dating troubles.  Meanwhile, because of his obsession with the film Casablanca, the ghost of Humphrey Bogart keeps appearing with “advice” – and that Casablanca theme runs strong throughout the movie. This is a very fun imaginative film, mixed with Allen’s overall ridiculousness (which is a compliment of the highest order), and the supporting performance from Tony Roberts who is always fantastic in every Allen film he appears in.  On top of that, I can’t think of a movie where Diane Keaton looked any more beautiful than in this. A fun, hilarious movie that I can’t recommend enough.

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Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Sex, *But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) | C
What was meant to be a funny movie inspired by a popular book of the same name that came out in the 1960′s, this one unfortunately to me was outweighed by just plain disturbing moments.  The style of the film is series of skits – or chapters – each bringing to life questions raised in the books.  Certain skits are inspired, like Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?, which is shot in the style of Italian film-making from the 60′s; What Are Sex Perverts? which is a game show in which panelists (including Regis Philbin) attempt to guess a contestant’s perversion; and What Happens During Ejaculation?, in which Woody plays a sperm inside a male who, amongst all the other sperm, are controlled by the men in the brain, played by Tony Randall and Burt Reynolds. Funny and clever stuff, but for me there are two segments portraying incredibly creepy male characters that overpowers what good is in this film.  One involves the wonderful, late Gene Wilder as a doctor who ends up being involved romantically with a sheep, and the other about an older man who likes to dress up in women’s clothes. It’s probably just me, as I can see how people would find those segments funny, but there is just this dark creepiness to it that steers me away from this movie every time I glance at it on the shelf.  It’s not a bad movie, it’s actually quite well made and it was a big hit when it came out, so it’s probably just me, but this is my blog damn it! HA!

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Sleeper (1973) | A
This one is brilliant, especially when compared to Allen’s other films, because it is probably his most effective film.  I say that because (and I am not sure if this one bothers others as it does me) it’s vision of the future is so bleak, sterile and clinical that it’s incredibly depressing to watch (even though the budget at times leaves a lot to be desired).  It makes the story much more “believable” of course, which is why it’s effective for me, but I rarely look forward to watching this movie. Which is a strange thing to say, because this is also one of his funniest and well made.  The story is simple.  Miles Monroe (Allen) is awoken after 200 years of being cryogenically frozen, finding himself in a world (the year 2173 to be exact) that looks like a giant Apple store, with a dash of totalitarianism.  Miles ends up befriending Luna (Diane Keaton) and together they dive into an adventure trying to stop some nonsensical “Aires Project”.  Anyway, this movie is pure slapstick and Allen is at his best in this one.  It’s one scene after another filled with his perfectly over-the-top physical comedy and top notch one-liners, and much of it to the tune of his big band Preservation Hall Jazz Band which he even still plays with to this very day (see Wild Man Blues). I hope not to sway anyone away with the bleak future talk – it’s probably just me who feels slightly disturbed by it – as this is a very fun and very very funny movie.

Miles: Where am I anyhow, I mean, what happened to everybody, where are all my friends?
Aragon: You must understand that everyone you knew in the past has been dead nearly 200 years.
Miles: But they all ate organic rice!

Luna: What’s it feel like to be dead for 200 years?
Miles: Like spending a weekend in Beverly Hills.

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Love and Death (1975) | B+
Thus far in Allen’s filmography he’s taken us to a Caribbean dictatorship, San Francisco, the year 2173, and into the brain of a man during sex.  In Love and Death, Allen’s last stop in his early more “experimental” phase before more or less ending up in his hometown New York, is Russia in the 1800′s. The plot involves the solider Boris (Allen), who along with his distant cousin & wife Sonja (Diane Keaton) – when not engaging in endless philosophical debates – plot to assassinate Napoleon.  Basically it’s just a new setting in which to house Allen’s modern and comedically out of time jokes and physical slapstick, but the juxtaposition continues to work brilliantly and this is a very funny movie.  And of course if you don’t find it funny, the soundtrack of the film will help the time pass, it consisting mostly of ‘Troika’, the 4th movement from Segei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé, which is insanely fantastic.  This one is absurd, pure lunacy, and it’s grand in scale in both production and humor, and luckily Allen’s last purely silly films is a high note. Can he possibly top it with Annie Hall? Time will tell!

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Annie Hall (1977) | A+
I generally don’t 100% agree with the general consensus by people when they talk about any director’s best work, but with Woody Allen I do.  This movie is pure perfection. I mean, when is the last time a comedy won for Best Picture at the Academy Awards? Ok, it was Annie Hall in 1977. Allen’s observations on falling in and out of love, his observations on types of people he and everyone encounter every day, his ease of blending his one-liner style of stand up comedy and hilariously surreal vignettes (a more progressed version of what Allen did in ‘Everything You Always Wanted…‘) into a linear plot line; it’s a recipe for greatness.  Annie Hall is a hilarious film with outstanding performances from Diane Keaton and Allen, and unlike some of Allen’s other work, it’s brilliance that appeals to the masses on a grand scale – there’s something for everyone to relate to. I can”t recommend this movie enough. La di da indeed.

Awards | Best Picture, Best Actress (Keaton), Best Director, Best Screenplay
Nominations | Best Actor (Allen)

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Interiors (1978) | C
Oh yes, this one, Woody’s first foray into drama, and of the few dramatic films he made this is the most intense of them.  But a quiet intensity, a slow moving film that teeters back and forth on the fence between nearly exploding into utter sadness and devastating events, or just complete boredom.  The story involves three sisters who are coping with what they perceive as their sad lives, and the separation of their father and mother, the latter of which is having emotional problems so severe she at one time was admitted into a psych ward and given electroshock therapy.  So yes, this is a doozy indeed.  The performances are quite good, including Geraldine Page who deserves the Oscar nomination in her portrayal of the mother, Eve, and the art direction is also fantastic with it’s cold, chilly desolate sets, colors and scenery right from the opening shot. But as good as so many elements are, something just isn’t quite right.  To me it doesn’t feel natural. The plot, the script, it all feels like it did not originate from a place of inspiration personally, but more of an artistic inspiration, to the point of being a mere imitation. When some compare this to much of Ingmar Bergman’s work, it makes you think if this was dubbed in Swedish you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It makes sense as well, since at one point Allen said of Bergman “(he’s) probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera”.  Interiors is admirable in it’s execution, but it’s inspiration feels as cold as the world these characters are living in, and for that it’s hard for me to feel certain in any sort of opinion. It’s all just kind of “there”, going through it’s motions.  Not a good film, not a bad film, just an admirable experiment. Save this one for last.

Nominations | Best Actress (Page), Best Supporting Actress (Stapleton), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction

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Manhattan (1979) | B
This one starts off with one one of greatest opening sequences of pretty much any film, a beautiful montage of black & white shots of Manhattan to a soundtrack of George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’.  It’s quite touching actually in the most joyous way, an obvious love letter of sorts from Allen to his hometown, and seeing shots of New York City in the 70′s – it’s quite classic today.  Even the most ardent New York hater would have to fall head over heels for the city after seeing that sequence.  The mood is sort of out of place though when compared to the rest of the film.  The story revolves around Isaac (Allen) whose ex-wife (the young and always fantastic Meryl Streep) is writing a book about their past marriage while at the same time he is carrying on a relationship with 17 year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway – who does a great job with the role) – the latter of which was based on Allen’s real life relationship with Stacey Nelkin who was also 17 at the time of their relationship. Then Mary (Diane Keaton) shows up, and despite getting off on the wrong foot – Isaac falls for her, thus relationships end and new ones begin – with all the good and bad that comes along with it. Some truly incredible beautiful and iconic shots along with the reliable hilarious lines from Allen’s script more than makes up for the awkward Isaac & Tracy scenes and plotline.  It is a movie you really do not want to miss, and I highly recommend it, but for me something is missing, a bit of a bite or an edge.  It was written by Allen and Marshall Brickman who co-wrote Annie Hall together just two years earlier (and later on the fantastic Manhattan Murder Mystery), and to me it was them trying to recreate that Oscar-winning magic, and despite coming close, there is a void.

Party Guest: I finally had an orgasm, and my doctor said it was the wrong kind.
Isaac Davis: You had the wrong kind? I’ve never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right on the money.

Nominations | Best Supporting Actress (Hemingway), Best Screenplay

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Stardust Memories (1980) | C
Beautifully shot, but ultimately a cold wind blows across this one from beginning to end.  The story revolves around film director Sandy Bates and the celebrity status and worship that accompanies his success reaching a boiling point to the point he questions the validity of his accomplishments. Some funny lines and undeniably beautiful imagery, but in the end it can’t make up for the lack of focus and inconsistent casting choices.  There is definitely appreciation by many in critics circles for this one – but I always felt it was one of his more sub-par movies.

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A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982) | A+
For me the key to this movie is it’s atmosphere – which is something generally not prevalent in Woody’s movies.  Badminton, lemonade, sex, humidity, fireflies, parasols, ‘the hissing of summer lawns’ if you will.  It’s all front and center in this WHIMSICAL comedy – one of my favorites from Allen.  Here he plays an early 1900′s crackpot inventor who along with his wife invite a few couples out to the countryside for a summer’s weekend.  As the hours pass, romantic entanglements become intertwined as the summer hours drone on and on.  There’s not a whole lot to say about this movie, as it’s a very light comedy, with nothing to say as it just breezes by.  But that’s what makes it so lovely.  Isn’t that what people want in the summer? A time to relax and to soak in the weather and the peace & quiet.  This movie, and it’s cast, captures that sentiment perfectly. Perfection.

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COMING NEXT WEEK :  Zelig through Shadows and Fog

Another Earth is another good movie I would like to recommend this weekend to all my fans. HA! But yes this movie is pretty good, but I recommend it highly simply because I can see others possibly finding a level of greatness in this, and even if not it’s just a unique film and worth checking out for something a bit different.  It’s about a woman who as a minor causes a drunk driving accident that puts a man in a coma, and kills his wife, son and his unborn daughter.  Four years later she is out of jail and having trouble with the guilt, but ends up trying to find a way of making things right for the man who’s life she changed so drastically. She does so by cleaning his home on a weekly basis, cleaning up the 4 year mess of a lonely man trying to cope with his loss. Meanwhile the world’s biggest metaphor has appeared floating in the sky in the form of … another Earth, or Earth 2 as they call it. It’s identical to our Earth, right down to what seems to be carbon copies of ourselves living the exact same lives as us at the exact same moment.  Or is it? Is it a planet where things are better, where second chances exist? A place to see how things would have become if your life had taken a different direction?

It’s not the greatest movie, but it’s very well done and the concept of this duplicate planet – stretching the odds of probability & physics to it’s limit – was fun to explore, despite the heavy subject matter.  It’s beautifully shot, mostly bathed in an earthly blue throughout, while maintaining a slight gritty feel, which along with it’s timeless setting, it pulls you into a world where such an event somehow actually feels possible. Even the film itself feels like its from a different time – or perhaps another Earth – ooooooooo! It’s tone reminded of the 80′s Kiwi film called The Quiet Earth where overnight a man awakens to a world where everyone disappears.  It’s obviously not plausible that such an event would happen, but the grittiness of the film and the performances somehow pull you into it a place where you actually ask yourself how you would react to such an event.

So yeah, a highly unique film.  A bit heavy at times considering the plot (the duplicate Earth takes a back seat to the main story), but it’s an original 90 minute experience.  Check it out, fellow Earthlings.

SITE | http://www.foxsearchlight.com/anotherearth/ 
TRAILER | http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/anotherearth/

This debut feature from writer/director David Robert Mitchell is a wonderful and calming experience of a film, and one I highly recommend. It’s now playing in Los Angeles and New York, but is also available via onDemand on most cable networks.  The reviews that say its a modern day teenage version of American Graffiti pretty much have it right.  When watching that movie to this day the thing that always struck me about it was, while of course portraying the rebellious naive side of teenagers, it showed more the maturity of kids who are on the edge becoming adults all their own.  Most films about the high school years lose sight of that, usually on purpose in the pursuit of big box office dollars, but every once in a while some films break past that.  John Hughes of course did that brilliantly while still pulling in mainstream audiences back in the 80′s, with The Breakfast Club being a prime example.  This new film I don’t see appealing to audiences on that same mainstream level, but it’s bit of a treasure in that sense, it being something that is appreciated on a smaller scale.

Like American Graffiti, the plot is simple enough, showing an array of small town Michigan high school students and how they are spending the last night of summer before school begins.  Plot however takes a background, as it’s really all about the kids, and that’s where this film shines.  These are kids you know. More than likely they were you at this age. They act like kids we remember, and they look like kids we remember.  These aren’t Hollywood actors who are portrating high school kids.  These are high school kids portraying high school kids. The good type of kids you knew that you and your friends were, but had to convince your suspicious parents of.  Kids that are so normal, but also as quirky as high school kids are when they are growing up, but not in a Hollywood forced quirky style.  They are just good, with real emotions, with actual morals, the kind of kids you would be proud to call your own. There is just such a sweetness to all of them, the kind of teenager you don’t see presented in cinema anymore. Gentle. Quiet. Reserved.

But at the same time there is nothing really normal cinematically in how they are presented. Their world is a kind one, and it’s ethereal at times, shot so beautifully and the pacing so calming that it helps hit just the right nostalgic tone, even though it takes place today.  That feeling of being up in the middle of night, walking the empty streets of your small town world on a quiet summer night with the yearning feeling of that age to see what else is out there – who else is out there – it’s all captured so gently and with such charm by this cast of unknowns.  This film, a proud snapshot of the kids of today, is one that will only most definitely get better with age.  It’s reserved, it doesn’t need to shout to be heard, but it’s a beautiful and atmospheric observation of a chapter in the life of today’s American teenager.

SITE | http://americansleepover.com/
TRAILER | http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/themythoftheamericansleepover/