Directed by Herbert Ross and written and starring Woody Allen which is based on his own play, Play It Again, Sam is the story of a recently-divorced man who is urged by his friends to start dating again as he gets advice from the ghost of Humphrey Bogart. The film is an unusual romantic comedy where a man tries to find love in this strange mixture of fantasy and reality. Also starring Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts. Play It Again, Sam is a witty and delightful film from Herbert Ross.
The film follows a film critic whose wife had just left him as he reluctantly returns to the dating scene by his friends where he finds himself lost as he seeks the advice from the ghost of Humphrey Bogart. It’s a film with a simple story that mixes elements of fantasy as it’s largely set in a real world where this man has trouble wondering why his wife left him and how he’s unable to connect with other women with the exception of his friend Linda (Diane Keaton). Woody Allen’s screenplay explores the conundrum that Allan Felix (Woody Allen) is going through as he isn’t sure about trying to find a new live as Linda and her husband Dick Christie (Tony Roberts) do whatever they can as they try to set him up with other women as many of the results are disastrous. With the workaholic Dick often away, Felix and Linda bond where it is obvious where the script is going yet Allen plays that build very slowly as there is also a sense of conflict in Felix as it relates to Dick who is his best friend.
Herbert Ross’ direction is very straightforward as it is shot largely on location in San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area in California as it play into this culture of film and art. Ross does put in references to some of the films that Humphrey Bogart is in with Casablanca being the most notable as it is Allan’s favorite film. Much of the compositions in the wide and medium shots are simple where Ross knows where to place the actors in a frame as well as know where to put in the comedic moments and make it feel natural. Though there’s a few wide shots to establish some of the locations, Ross uses it to create a fantasy version of sorts of San Francisco as it kind of plays into this idea of what Allan is looking for once he finds who his soul mate is. The ending is a take on the ending of Casablanca but it has a nice twist to it as it play to everything Allan is looking for. Overall, Ross creates a whimsical yet exhilarating comedy about a divorced man trying to get back into the dating scene with the help of Humphrey Bogart’s ghost.
Cinematographer Owen Roizman does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural and colorful looks for the daytime interior/exterior scenes along with some artificial touches for scenes set at night. Editor Marion Rothman does nice work with the editing as it is mainly straightforward with some jump-cuts and a few montage-style cuts. Production designer Ed Wittstein and set decorator Doug von Koss do fantastic work with the look of Allan’s home as well as the country home of the Christies’ home. Costume designer Anna Hill Johnstone does terrific work with the costumes from the stylish clothes that Linda wears to the more casual look of the men. The sound work of David Dockendorf and Richard Reitschmann is superb as it is very straightforward that includes a very funny scene involving a record and the record player. The film’s music by Billy Goldenberg is wonderful as its mixture of jazz and classical music play into the comedy and some of the drama that occurs in the film.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Jennifer Salt as a woman Linda sets Allan up for a date that doesn’t go well, Joy Bang as a colleague of Dick that goes out with Allan that also bombs, Susanne Zenor as a girl dancing at a club Allan tries to flirt with, Viva as a woman the Christies that Allan introduces to as it doesn’t go well, Diana Davalia as a woman Allan meets in the museum with some very morbid comments, and Jerry Lacy in a terrific performance as the ghost of Humphrey Bogart. Susan Anspach is wonderful as Allan’s ex-wife Nancy who leaves Allan as she believes he isn’t exciting nor can satisfy her in every way as she is someone wanting adventure.
Tony Roberts is excellent as Dick Christie as a workaholic who is trying to help Allan but has a hard time trying to be with Linda due to the demands of his job. Diane Keaton is amazing as Linda Christie as a woman who is concerned for Allan as she tries to help him find a new love only to cope with her own feelings for him. Finally, there’s Woody Allen in a brilliant performance as Allan Felix as a neurotic film critic who is despondent over his divorce as he tries to move forward as it’s a very comical performance from Allen who tries to act and be cool but also do it in the most awkward and funniest of ways.
Play It Again, Sam is a remarkable film from Herbert Ross and writer Woody Allen. It’s a film that isn’t just a witty romantic comedy that plays upon the expectations of fantasy and wanting to live the fantasy but also deal with the realities of falling in love. In the end, Play It Again, Sam is an incredible film from Herbert Ross.
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Irrational Man is the story of a philosophy professor who goes through an existential crisis where he goes into a relationship with one of his students. The film is mystery-drama that has Allen explore the world of existentialism where a man copes with the meaning of life as well as the ways of the world where he ponders what one do by a single act. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Jamie Blackley, and Parker Posey. Irrational Man is a compelling and witty film from Woody Allen.
Set in a small college campus and town in Rhode Island, the film is a simple story of a troubled philosophy professor who is going through depression and an existential crisis where he befriends a student as they discuss the complexities of life. Yet, when they overhear a conversation about a woman’s custody battle and how unlikely she would get her children back due to a corrupt judge. Professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is suddenly urged to do something as the result would mark a change in his life and his relationship with student Jill Pollard (Emma Stone) where it becomes romantic. Yet, questions would emerge as it relates to his act but also many questions about morality and the way life works. Woody Allen’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Lucas’ own moral and existential dilemma but also the fact that he has become numb and sort of indifferent about what he’s doing.
With Pollard being one of his students in his summer tenure in philosophy, he is intrigued by her views where they would engage a lot in conversations. Pollard would fall for him, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend Roy (Jamie Blackley), though is aware of Lucas’ own reputation as well as the fact that teachers and students can’t go out with each other in the school. While Lucas would have an affair with another professor in Rita Richards (Parker Posey), he is drawn by Pollard as the film‘s narrative is told from their different perspective with the usage of voice-over narration to display their views and what are they thinking. Especially in the second act where Lucas do something as it relates to this woman he doesn’t even know as the result would give him meaning again. Even as Pollard is taken aback at first by his change in mood until news about what is going on in this small town emerges where Pollard learns some truth as she goes into a moral dilemma of her own. All of which plays into a third act that is about morality and what it means to live but also the fact that action can also have consequences.
Allen’s direction is quite simple in terms of not just the compositions but also in the fact that he creates a film that bears little ideas of style. Shot on location in Newport, Rhode Island, the film does have this ravishing tone in the way it presents this small New England college town where it is quite middle class but also very vibrant. While Allen uses some wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of the locations, he also in maintain some intimacy in the latter along with the close-ups in the way characters interact with one another. Allen also would create different shifts in tones where it starts off a little lighthearted despite Lucas’ dark mood and then have the second act be even more upbeat despite the act that Lucas would do that eventually gave him meaning. The tone would once again shift in the third act where it does become more of a drama but a drama that says a lot about morality and the ways of the world. Especially where Pollard who begins to question herself as she is confused on the ways of the world and where true happiness comes from. Allen reveals that there is a lot of flaws in that argument but also says a lot into the ways of the world and how people live no matter how complicated things can be. Overall, Allen creates an engaging yet whimsical film about existentialism and morality.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the exteriors to the way some of the interiors are lit in day and night to play into its low-key yet colorful look. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with few bits of style as it plays into the drama and some of the mystery aspects in the film. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Jennifer Engel and art director Carl Sprague, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the campus and the hall of mirrors where Lucas and Pollard go to.
Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual in the way the characters look as it includes some of the stylish clothes that Pollard and Richards wear. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound as it is mostly natural to play into the places that all of the characters go to. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of playful jazz pieces along with a few classical cuts and a couple of contemporary pop pieces at a party that Lucas goes to.
The casting by Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto and Juliet Taylor is great as it include some notably small roles from Susan Poufar as a woman fighting for custody of her children that Lucas and Pollard would eavesdrop on, Sophie Von Haselberg as one of Pollard’s classmate in April, Ethan Phillips and Betsey Aidem as Jill’s parents, Kate McGonigle as another of Pollard’s friends in Ellie, and Tom Kemp as a custody case judge that Lucas would target. Jamie Blackley is superb as Pollard’s boyfriend Roy who doesn’t like hearing about Lucas as he feels neglected as well unappreciated for what he is trying to do for Pollard.
Parker Posey is fantastic as Rita Richards as a professor who is dealing with her own issues in her marriage as she would have an affair with Lucas only to feel slighted when he begins his relationship with Pollard. Emma Stone is brilliant as Jill Pollard as a philosophy student who would challenge Lucas about his views on the world while they would find similar ground and passions until she realizes the action he has done where she is confused as well as questioning about her own morality. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as Abe Lucas as a philosophy professor who is filled with despair and indifference as he tries to find meaning in his life where he tries to find fulfillment until a moment where he listens to a conversation about a woman where he feels the need to act as it would give him a new lease on life.
Irrational Man is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features top-notch performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Parker Posey. While it is a film that bears a lot of familiar territory that Allen has explored in other films, it does manage to say a lot about the way people are in the world as well as how they respond to certain things and their actions. In the end, Irrational Man is a remarkable film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - (Café Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Magic in the Moonlight is the story of an illusionist in the late 1920s who try to disprove the work of a clairvoyant while being charmed by her. The film is an exploration into Allen’s love for magic as it plays into a man who doesn’t really believe in magic while falling for a woman who might prove that he’s wrong. Starring Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver, Erica Leershen, Eileen Atkins, and Marcia Gay Harden. Magic in the Moonlight is a delightful and charming film from Woody Allen.
Set in 1928, the film plays into an illusionist’s attempt to expose a young clairvoyant as a fraud as it’s part of a job he is known for yet would be intrigued by her and eventually fall for her. It’s a film that plays into this conflict over cynicism and spirituality as the character of Stanley (Colin Firth) is a man of rational thoughts as he doesn’t believe in God or anything. Spurred by a friend who is convinced by the powers of this young clairvoyant named Sophie (Emma Stone), Stanley travels to the French Riviera to see if Sophie is real or is a fraud. Along the way, things become weirder as Stanley wonders if Sophie is really faking it or did she find a way to crack into his cynical view of the world. While Woody Allen’s screenplay does follow a predictable and formulaic storyline, it does manage to create situations that are funny but also engaging into Stanley and Sophie’s growing friendship.
Though Stanley is engaged to another woman and Sophie is in a relationship with a young rich man, there is an attraction that is electrifying to watch where Stanley is often baffled by Sophie while Sophie tries to figure who what Stanley is doing. Even as Stanley becomes conflicted in exposing Sophie as a fraud while being in love with her that would play a key part into the film’s second act. While a twist does get unveiled into the third act where it’s not entirely successful, it does play into Stanley’s own view of the world and this growing confusion he has in just believing something that might not be real or just stick to the ideas of reality.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward while it does employ elements of style such as the opening scene of Stanley performing as it shows his mastery in illusion. At the same time, it shows exactly how much of a pain in the ass he is as he’s egotistical and craving for perfection behind the scenes. Allen’s usage of wide shots not only help make the locations in the French Rivera quite beautiful but it also plays into the wide divide between Sophie’s love of mysticism and Stanley’s own cynicism. Allen’s usage of close-ups and medium shot not only play to the film’s humor but also in the growing attraction between Stanley and Sophie that is filled with a sense of joy along with some dramatic tension. Though things do get clunky in its third act as it relates to a twist in the film, it does play into Stanley’s own resolve about everything he had thought about in the world and what should he accept. Overall, Allen creates an enjoyable though flawed film about a man trying to disprove the credibility of a young clairvoyant.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the beauty of the French Riviera locations as well as the gardens in some of the houses while using some unique lighting schemes and textures to play into the film‘s look. Editor Alisa Lepselter does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s humor. Production designer Anne Siebel, with set decorators Jille Azis and Fanny Landsberg, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as Stanley’s stage show and the places the characters go to. Costume designer Sonia Grande does amazing work with the costumes from the period clothes of the men to the gorgeous dresses that the women wear.
Visual effects supervisor Andrew Lim does nice work with one of the film‘s minimal visual effects sequence that involves a scene where Stanley and Sophie look at the sky at night inside an observatory. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to create something that is sparse and low-key while capturing the exuberance in a few of the party scenes. The film’s music soundtrack consists of different genres of music from jazz to classical as it plays into the period of the time as it is one of the film’s highlights.
The casting by Juliet Taylor, Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto, and Stephane Foenkinos is superb as it features a few small performances from Catherine McCormack as Stanley’s fiancee Olivia, Lionel Abelanski as a doctor late in the film, Jeremy Shamos and Erica Leershen in their respective roles as George and Caroline who are amazed by Sophie’s gift, and Eileen Atkins in a wonderful performance as Stanley’s Aunt Vanessa whom he is fond of as she is impressed by Sophie. Jacki Weaver is fantastic as Grace as a family matriarch who asks Sophie to communicate with her late husband as she brings a lot of spark to her character. Marcia Gay Harden is terrific as Sophie’s mother who would accompany Sophie on a few of these things while trying to prove to Stanley that she is the real thing.
Hamish Linklater is excellent as Grace’s son Brice who is deeply in love with Sophie as he falls under her spell as he brings a lot of humor in just being intentionally bland and singing awful love songs to Sophie. Simon McBurney is fantastic as Stanley’s friend Howard who is also an illusionist as he wants to see if Stanley can prove that she is a fraud as he provides some delightful supporting work in his performance. Emma Stone is amazing as Sophie as this young woman who has the power to see the future and such as she deals with Stanley’s snide attitude where Stone brings a lively presence to her performance. Finally, there’s Colin Firth in a brilliant performance as Stanley as a renowned illusionist and psychic debunker who finds himself baffled by Sophie as he struggles with his feelings for her and his job where Firth brings a lot of humility and humor into his performance.
Magic in the Moonlight is a stellar film from Woody Allen that features great performances from Colin Firth and Emma Stone. While it is a flawed film, it is a still an enjoyable and fun film that explores the world of magic and spirituality. In the end, Magic in the Moonlight is a wonderful film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2015
Part 4: The Wilderness Years (2004-2013)
Melinda & Melinda
After a trio of poorly-received films critically and commercially, it seemed like Woody Allen had ran out of ideas. Despite having a career that included some of the greatest films in cinema, Allen was now facing a period where he was becoming uncertain about where to go as he also knew that he needed to make some changes creatively. In an attempt to shake things up, Allen’s next project would be about the question on how life works in the form of a comedy or a tragedy. Allen would use this question to tell the life of two women with the same name as one is mired by her own troubled life while the other finds herself in a comic situation.
Allen would create a film that would play into these circumstances as it’s mostly told by two writers who are eating dinner with friends where they talk about the question. Wallace Shawn and Larry Pine played the roles as Allen wanted Winona Ryder to play the role of the titular characters as well as Robert Downey Jr. as a man who falls for the comic version of Melinda. Unfortunately, Ryder and Downey were unable to take part due to insurance reasons as Ryder was stung by her shoplifting scandal in 2001 while Downey was still blacklisted by the industry over his drug abuse as he was still in recovery. Allen eventually chose Australian actress Radha Mitchell to play the lead roles with comedy actor Will Ferrell as the part that Downey was supposed to play. With a cast that would include Chloe Sevigny, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jonny Lee Miller, Amanda Peet, and Steve Carell. Allen was set to make one of his most daring projects to date.
Shot in New York City, Allen got the services of the famed Hungarian cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond to shoot the film while retaining most of his collaborators in editor Alisa Lepselter, production designer Santo Loquasto, sound editor Robert Hein, and casting director Juliet Taylor. Allen decided to create scenes set in the same places and similar situations to play out the concept of comedy vs. tragedy. Notably as Allen had Mitchell create different looks for her characters with the tragic Melinda looking quite ragged and act as if she’s teetering on the edge. With the comic Melinda, Mitchell is more relaxed though a bit uncertain about where to go as she would stumble her way into things as it would result in something comical.
The film premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in the fall of 2004 where it got a good reception as Allen found distribution in Fox Searchlight to release the film in the U.S. in the spring of 2005 via limited release. While the film did received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, it did OK in the U.S. though got a better commercial reception in Europe. For those who did like the film, some felt that it was a step in the right direction from Allen as he was trying to do something new while retaining some old ideas and tricks that he’s known for.
Match Point
Allen’s interest in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment allowed him to create a new project that bear similarities to his 1989 film Crimes & Misdemeanor which was also inspired by Dostoevsky as it would revolve on the idea of luck. The story would be about a former tennis pro who meets the daughter of a rich businessman as he would later marry her yet falls for his brother-in-law’s moody girlfriend as their affair would later spell trouble as he tries to find ways to deal with his situation. It was a concept that recalled the dramatic portion of Allen’s 1989 film in which Judah Rosenthal has an extramarital affair as his mistress threatens to reveal the affair to his wife.
Allen wanted to set the story in the Hamptons in the state of New York but funding was becoming more difficult for Allen as his films were no longer becoming financial hits in the U.S. Though Allen still owed Dreamworks Pictures one more film from their deal, they weren’t on board with the next project as Allen and his sister/producer Letty Aronson as well as longtime producers Charles H. Joffe and Jack Rollins tried to find funding for this film. British film producer Gareth Wiley came in to the picture as he offered Allen the chance to make his film in London where it would prove to be helpful as Allen also got funding from BBC Films.
In re-writing the project by setting it in London, it gave Allen the chance to do something new with his drama as he would also go for a largely British cast. For the lead role of Chris Wilton, Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was cast as its main supporting cast would consist of Britain’s finest that include Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Ewen Bremner, and James Nesbitt. For the role of Nola Rice, Kate Winslet was asked to take part in the production but decided to leave the production just one week before shooting. Winslet’s departure forced Allen and his longtime casting director Juliet Taylor to find a last-minute replacement as the part went to American actress Scarlett Johansson who was just coming off a break-out period with 2003’s Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring as she won a BAFTA Best Actress prize for the former.
Allen immediately rewrote the Nola character as an American as production finally commenced where Allen got the services of cinematographer Remi Adefarasin to shoot the film entirely in London with a largely British crew. For Allen, shooting in London gave him the chance to find something new as he had been shooting in New York City for so many years. Notably as Allen got the chance to explore locations outside of the city to showcase a world that is unique to those who don’t live in Britain as both Nola and Chris are essentially outsiders who come from working-class background as they use their own sex appeal to woo people who are from the upper-class until they meet each other which makes their attraction intriguing but also volatile.
Since the film is largely dramatic, Allen decided to take on a very different approach to music for the film as he strays from his love of jazz and standards in favor of opera. Allen chose pieces by Giuseppe Verdi, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donzietti, and Carlos Gomes as the musical accompaniment as some of these pieces were sung by the legendary Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. A lot of the music features arias and extracts from various operas that Caruso sang to not just play to some of the romance but also the element of suspense and consequences that Chris Wilton would do in order to take control of his life and his affair with Nola. Particularly as he would create an outcome that would play into his own idea of luck but also the guilt that he would have to carry for the rest of his life.
The film made its premiere at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival that May where it got a great reception as some felt it was a return to form for Allen. Upon its theatrical release in late 2005 in the U.S. and Britain, the film would be Allen’s most commercially successful film as it grossed more than $23 million in the U.S. with a total of $85 million worldwide. While critics in Britain were divided over the film, it got a better reception in the U.S. where critics praised the film as Allen received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay while Johansson got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress as she would become Allen’s new muse for the next few years.
Scoop
The success of Match Point not only gave Allen a much needed boost in his career but also the chance to do something new as London would become a new temporary home to make films as he would get funding as well as the freedom to do what he wanted. Allen decided to go back to comedy where he decided to make a film about a young journalist who receives a scoop from a recently-deceased journalist about the identity of a mysterious killer as she gets help from a magician to crack the case. The film would give Allen the chance to not only have a bit of fun but also play a supporting role as a magician who would pretend to be the young journalist’s father who also claims to be a rich businessman.
With Scarlett Johansson playing the lead role of the young aspiring journalist Sondra Pransky, the cast would also include Australian actor Hugh Jackman as the main suspect Peter Lyman, and Ian McShane as the deceased journalist Joe Strombel. The rest of the supporting cast would also include Romola Garai, Charles Dance, and Julian Glover as Allen once again shot the film in London but also in various locations nearby as Allen would also get the same crew he worked with from his previous film. With this approach, Allen would find ways to utilize as much humor as he can from the cast while keeping things simple as far as some of the suspenseful moments were concerned.
Already known for his love for magic, Allen wanted to provide a lot of witty humor to his scenes where he performs his magic tricks while playing the same dialogue in the way he complements his audience. Still, it would be his character that would do more to uncover the mystery while Sondra falls for Lyman as it would involve a lot of funny moments where Allen tries to save Sondra from what might really happen. Though the results turned out to be a mess, Allen was able to find some rapport with Johansson as she would display humor that recalled Allen’s collaboration with Diane Keaton.
The film premiered in July of 2006 in the U.S. where it got mixed reviews from critics were some enjoyed its humor but some felt it was too much of a mess where a few thought it was one of Allen’s worst film. The film was not released theatrically in Britain which was also surprising as it would eventually arrive in the U.K. on BBC Two in 2009. Still, the film was still a commercial success grossing nearly $40 million worldwide while it brought in $10 million in the U.S.
Cassandra's Dream
Despite the mixed reaction to Scoop, Allen still felt vital in his time working in London as he wanted to go for another dramatic feature set in London. This time around, it would revolve around two brothers who find themselves dealing with money problems as they turn to their rich uncle for help. Yet, what their uncle wants in return is to kill a fellow businessman who is threatening to expose him over finances. It’s a premise that had Allen wanting to explore not just the world of greed and guilt but also the concept of family and how it can trouble the mind of the people in that family.
With Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell playing the lead roles of the brothers Ian and Terry, respectively along with Tom Wilkinson as their rich uncle Howard. Allen originally wanted American actress Michelle Williams to play one of the female roles but was unable to take part in the project as Allen got Sally Hawkins to play the role of Terry’s girlfriend Kate while newcomer Hayley Atwell was chosen to play the role of Ian’s actress girlfriend Angela. Allen also got famed Mike Leigh regular Phil Davis to play the role of Howard’s business rival whom Ian and Terry have to kill.
With Vilmos Zsigmond working with Allen again as his cinematographer, Allen also got the services of famed minimalist composer Philip Glass to create a film score which was a rare thing for Allen. Glass’ score would play to the suspense that Allen wanted to convey as well as the dramatic tension that would occur in the film where both Ian and Terry try to comprehend the task that they have to do. Especially in the aftermath as one of the brothers is consumed with guilt where its climax would force the other brother and the uncle to realize what must be done. All of which would play into a tragedy as it took place in the boat the two brothers had bought at the beginning of the film.
The film premiered in Spain in October of 2007 as it was followed by its release in France days later as the film was a co-production with the British, the French, and the U.S. While the film got a nice reception in Europe, it got mixed reviews in the U.S. when the film got released in January of 2008 as it was later followed by a U.K. theatrical release that May. While some critics enjoyed Allen’s approach to suspense, some felt that Allen didn’t do enough to make the suspense more engaging despite the fact that film did modestly well in the worldwide box office.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Allen’s popularity in Spain was a bit baffling for Allen as he had been asked to make a film in the country where he finally gave in to make a film in Barcelona for his next project. The film would be about two American women named Vicky and Cristina who both travel to Barcelona for the summer where they meet a man named Juan Antonio as they’re both attracted to him. While Vicky is an engaged woman trying to figure herself out, Cristina begins an affair with Juan Antonio where it later becomes a threesome with Juan Antonio’s troubled ex-wife Maria Elena.
The project would be partially inspired by Francois Truffaut’s 1962 film Jules and Jim as well as Ingmar Bergman’s Smiles of a Summer Night as Allen got the chance to scout various locations in Barcelona as well as Aviles and Oviedo that inspired Allen to do much more with the story. For the cast, Allen decided to work with Scarlett Johansson for the third time as she gets to play the role of aspiring photographer Cristina while her co-star from Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film The Prestige in British actress Rebecca Hall was cast as Vicky. With American actors Chris Messina playing Vicky’s fiancee and Patricia Clarkson as a relative of Vicky. The respective roles of Juan Antonio and Maria Elena went to two of Spain’s hottest actors in Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.
While there was controversy over the some of the funding of the film where Allen got came from local governments of Barcelona, Allen still pressed on for the production as he got the services of famed Spanish cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe to shoot the film. Allen also got the services of Christopher Evan Welch to narrate the film to bring in a lot of exposition about the lives of Vicky and Cristina in their adventures. Notably as it plays into the tumultuous relationship between Juan Antonio and Maria Elena who love each other but also hate each other and Cristina becomes the perfect balance for both of them until she decides to go on her own while Vicky deals with the downside of being married as she is still in love with Juan Antonio.
The film made its premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival where it was well-received by critics and audiences as it later got released in the U.S. in August of that year where it would be another commercial hit for Allen. While reviews were mostly positive while there were those that didn’t enjoy the film, many praised the performance of Penelope Cruz as Maria Elena as it garnered her many accolades from various critics prizes as well as an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Whatever Works
After a period of making films outside of the U.S., Allen decided to return to New York City by reviving an old script that he had written back in the 1970s that was supposed to star Zero Mostel. With an impending strike from the Screen Actor’s Guild coming in 2008, Allen decided to do some re-writes on the script with some updating to make it more relevant as it would explore a frustrated intellectual whose encounter with a young Southern woman has him baffled by his new changes as her family would also arrive to New York City from the South to discover their new surroundings.
For the role of Boris Yelnikoff that was written with Mostel in mind, Allen chose comedian Larry David who had previously appeared in a couple of Allen’s projects in Radio Days and the Oedipus Wrecks segment in New York Stories. David was reluctant at first in playing the lead but after some convincing from Allen, he decided to do it. Evan Rachel Wood was cast as the young Southern girl Melody while Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr. played her parents as the cast would be filled out by British actor Henry Cavill and comedy actor Michael McKean.
Allen reunited with longtime production designer Santo Loquasto for the project after a break from each other while Allen also got Harris Savides to shoot the film entirely in New York City. Allen wanted the film to feel loose and such which allowed Larry David to improvise quite often while Allen also got to make fun about the world of New York City art culture that Patricia Clarkson’s character would be part of after her own transformation. Part of the film’s climax in which Ed Begley Jr., who plays Clarkson’s husband, realizes that he’s not going to get her back where he meets a man at a bar where he has a realization about who he really is.
The film would marked a new beginning for Allen as he signed a new deal with Sony Picture Classics to get his film distribution as it was premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City in April of 2009. Following its U.S. theatrical release two months later, the film drew mixed reviews from critics and audiences while critics did praise Patricia Clarkson and Evan Rachel Wood for their performances. Sadly, the film would be the last film to produced by Allen’s longtime manager Charles H. Joffe who died in July 9, 2008 during the film’s production. Joffe was responsible for giving Allen his film career as well as championing the work of his stepdaughter/filmmaker Nicole Holofcener as it marked another end of an era for Allen.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
After his brief return to his home city, Allen decided to return to London for a project that would have him explore people trying to find new relationships as old ones are either disintegrating or had ended. This time around, it would play into people’s faith for something as well as how delusions can make people lose sight of things. All of which would be presented in a mixture of comedy and drama as Allen hired Zak Orth to narrate the film as he had appeared in Melinda & Melinda and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
The cast would include a largely British cast as it starred Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Frieda Pinto, Antonio Banderas, and Anna Friel. While Nicole Kidman was asked to play the role of Hopkins’ new younger wife, she was unable to take part due to scheduling conflicts as British actress Lucy Punch took over. With cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond re-teaming Allen for the production, the film would be a look into the world of individuals all wanting something new in their life but also have to realize what they took for granted.
One of these storylines play into Gemma Jones’ character as she often goes to a fortune teller for advice as she would do things under these instructions much to the frustration of the people in her family including Naomi Watts’ character who is dealing with a disintegrating marriage to Josh Brolin who is falling for Frieda Pinto who lives across from his building. Allen wanted to inject as much humor to the story but also drama where Watts’ character is in love with Antonio Banderas but he is more interested in Watts’ friend played by Anna Friel. All of which would play into the troubles these characters they face into the decisions of their life with only one character coming out of all of it much better.
The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival where it got a nice reception as it was later released in the U.S. that September to mixed reviews. While some enjoyed its humor as there was a lot of praise towards Gemma Jones’ performance, some felt the film was a mess and the humor and drama didn’t mesh. While the film got a somewhat better reception in Britain than in the U.S., some felt that Allen is just rehashing old ideas.
Midnight in Paris
After a period making films in London, Allen decided to go somewhere else as he had always interested in making a film in Paris. Even the city itself wanted Allen to make a film set in Paris as the two along with Allen’s producers decided that a film project set in Paris would happen. Allen had a grand idea for his film in Paris that would revolve around a Hollywood screenwriter whose attempt to write a novel while visiting Paris with his fiancee has found himself traveling back in time to the 1920s where he meets various characters from that era including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, and many others. It’s a concept that definitely seems outlandish and ambitious for Allen but with the clout he has in Europe, he gets the chance to make a film about nostalgia and looking for meaning in life.
For the lead role of Gil Pender, Allen and his longtime casting director went to Owen Wilson to play the role as it would be different from his work in mainstream comedies and the films he does with Wes Anderson. Wilson chooses to do the film as the cast would include Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and British actor Michael Sheen in respective role’s as Gil’s fiancee and a stuffy intellectual whom Gil despises. The casting would get much bigger as Kathy Bates, Tom Hiddleston, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, and Adrien Brody would play some of the famous luminaries of the time while Allen also got French actors to play key roles such as Gad Elmaleh, Lea Seydoux, and Marion Cotillard as a woman Gil falls for who is from the 1920s.
Another big moment in the casting was hiring Italian model/singer-songwriter Carla Bruni as a tour guide as the casting of a former French first lady definitely drew a lot of attention for the production. Allen got the services of Darius Khondji to help shoot the film as Khondji was familiar with the locations in Paris while Allen also got Anne Siebel and Helene Dubreuil to do the set designs. While Allen kept a lot of the location scenery in Paris very straightforward, he also wanted to showcase a world where Gil is fascinated by the city and its culture though his fiancee Inez and her family don’t seem as interested.
Allen opens the film with this three-and-a-half minute montage of Paris in all of its beauty through various locations and different settings like in day and night or in the rain or if it’s snowing. It is a moment that is definitely very different in the way he opens the film while he is more focused on the story where Gil tries to find inspiration where at midnight, a car passes by and he finds himself back in 1920s Paris. Allen would use many of the 1920s scenes to play up not just Gil’s fascination but also the individuals he would meet as some of it is quite dramatic while others such as Adrien Brody’s performance as Salvador Dali is played for laughs. Another of those funny moments would include Gad Elmaleh who plays a private detective hired by Inez’s father to see where Gil is going as the outcome of what happens to him proves to be funny.
All these stories wouldn’t just play the conflict of nostalgia vs. modernism but also told in a way in which a man is eager to define himself in some ways as an artist but also has to deal with revelations about himself and his life. Even as he and Marion Cotillard’s Adriana travel back in time to the 1890s Belle Epoque period where Adriana is more in tune with that world than the 1920s. It’s a moment that would hurt Gil while he would get one final advice from Gertrude Stein who has been looking over his work where Gil would make a big decision about what to do with his life. Even as he would eventually find the one person who not only shares his love for the city but also what it was back then.
The film made its premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival where it would open the festival as it would kick the festival off to a great start. The film not only received a great reception from audiences at Cannes but also critics who praised the film for its whimsical charm and ode to nostalgia. The film would become a major hit in France while it got released in the U.S. more than a week after its premiere at Cannes where the film got major buzz from its limited release from audiences and critics. After being given a wide-release in mid-June, the film would become not just Allen’s most commercially-successful in the U.S. grossing more than $56 million but also getting a theatrical run that went beyond expectations as it would play for almost the remainder of the year.
The film would eventually give Allen his biggest worldwide gross of a total of $151 million as accolades started to pour in. Many critics cited it as not just one Allen’s best films but also being one of the best films of the year as even filmmakers who are fans of Allen like Quentin Tarantino praised the film. Award nominations would pour in from all over the world where Allen would get his first Goya award from Spain while the film itself would receive four Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Art Direction, and two nods for Allen for Best Director and Best Screenplay where Allen would win the latter.
To Rome with Love
Though surprised by the success of Midnight in Paris, Allen decided to move forward with his next project as he once again got an offer to make a film in Rome, Italy as Allen said yes as he had always wanted to do something in Rome. Inspired by the works of Giovanni Boccaccio and his book Bop Decameron, Allen decided to create a film where he would have four different stories set in Rome where people try to deal with their surroundings as well as the expectations they have about the city and its culture. Though Allen would originally called it Nero Fiddles, he eventually settled on To Rome with Love.
The film would mark Allen’s first appearance in a film in six years as he would co-star the film with longtime Allen regular Judy Davis as the cast would be filled out by Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Alison Pill, and Penelope Cruz. The Italian cast would feature the famed comedy actor Roberto Benigni, famed tenor Fabio Armiliato, Ornella Muti, and Antonio Albanese. Many of which would appear in four different segments that would play to what Allen wanted while he also made some discoveries during the location as he let real-life traffic policeman Pierluigi Marchionne to open the film and comment about the wonders of Rome.
The stories would all play into the expectations and how some just want to have a simple life. The first segment involved Alec Baldwin as a revered architect who guides Jesse Eisenberg over his attraction towards Ellen Page where Baldwin would comment on every situation that is happening as if he is a Greek chorus where Eisenberg isn‘t sure if he should stick with Greta Gerwig or go for Page. The second involved Allen and Judy Davis visiting their daughter, played by Alison Pill, who is to be married to an Italian lawyer as they learn that his funeral director father can sing opera but only can do it when he’s in the shower prompting Allen to try and give the guy a career in opera.
The third segment involved a newlywed couple who are supposed to meet the groom’s relatives where the bride gets lost in the city as the groom reluctantly takes a prostitute, played by Penelope Cruz, to pretend to be the bride as she gives the groom advice on how to bring excitement to his marriage. The fourth and final story has Roberto Benigni play a simple business clerk who suddenly becomes famous for no apparent reason as he is baffled by it while he eventually comes to the conclusion that it’s fleeting where he wants to have it back.
The film made its premiere in Rome, Italy on April of 2012 where it was well-received in its home country critically and commercially. The film later got a limited release in late June in the U.S. before going wide where it got mixed reviews though it’s box office was still pretty good. Penelope Cruz received praise for her performance though some felt the film was a mess. Still, it gave Allen another major box office hit as he proved to still pull in an audience.
Blue Jasmine
Allen’s newest and most recent film has him returning to the U.S. where he not only spends some time in New York City but also shooting the film partially in San Francisco. Inspired by a story his wife Soon-Yi had told him about a friend of hers, Allen used that story as well as the works of Tennessee Williams to create a story about a woman whose life crashes down by financial scandal as she is forced to move in with her estranged sister. Notably as she is desperate to climb back into the upper-class world while her sister much prefers the lower-middle class lifestyle.
Allen reunited with cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe who had shot Vicky Cristina Barcelona for Allen as the film would be set in parts of New York City and San Francisco. Santo Loquasto also returned to the fold after another break to do the set design as Allen wanted to create something to display two different worlds that would play into the troubled state of mind of its lead character Jasmine. Notably as she also has to deal with her estranged adopted sister Ginger who lives a more lower-middle class lifestyle while being with men who are also working class.
For the role of Jasmine, Australian actress Cate Blanchett would be cast while Allen would also get previous players Sally Hawkins and Alec Baldwin to play the roles of Jasmine’s sister Ginger and Jasmine’s husband Hal, respectively. With a cast that would also include Bobby Cannavale, Alden Ehrenreich, Peter Sarsgaard, and Michael Stuhlbarg, Allen also wanted a comedian to play to the role of Ginger’s former husband Augie. While Louis C.K. originally auditioned to play the role of Augie, Allen eventually gave the part to Andrew Dice Clay while he would give C.K. a role as a man Ginger meets at a party.
Allen wanted to explore not just the relationship between two sisters and their differing lifestyles but also a woman whose life had been marred by the fact that her husband was a crook and had stolen money from people as he was destroyed by the government. Even as she also learned about the other things that her husband did as the life that lived turned out to be a façade as she has a hard time facing that reality. By living with her sister, she is unaware of her mental state while criticizing not just her sister’s lifestyle but her choice of men which would allow this dynamic between Blanchett and Hawkins to play out where the former is also her own worst enemy.
The film made its U.S. premiere in the U.S. in late July 2013 via limited release as its critical reaction was very positive as was its box office where it would get a wide release a month later. Already becoming another critical and commercial hit for Allen, the film got praise for Cate Blanchett’s leading performance as well as its supporting cast led by Sally Hawkins. It’s current rise to success not only dispels the question of Allen’s relevancy with the current film culture but also prove that he’s still got something to say.
For nearly 50s and over 40 films with more to come as he’s getting offers to make films in places like Sweden and Brazil. There’s no question about Woody Allen’s role in shaping cinema. Whether it’s making comedies that range from silly to thought-provoking or dramas that dares to ask big questions and even small ones. He always find a way to give the audience something whether it’s in New York City, Paris, Rome, or London by telling a story that he wants to tell and find ways to connect with that audience. Allen has also inspired many filmmakers through his films while probably also introduced them to people like the Marx Brothers, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman. Though it’s unclear when he will end his career as a filmmaker but when that does happen. It will be an end of an era. Still, Woody Allen’s role in cinema has already been set in stone as he remains not just one of the best filmmakers working today but also one of the most enduring forces in cinema.
Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Tom Donahue, Casting By is the story about legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and her impact into how she shaped the film industry with her casting ideas from the 1960s to the 1980s. Notably as she would help set a wave of many casting directors to come as filmmakers and actors talk about the importance of Dougherty’s contribution to the film industry as well as why there’s a need for an Oscar category for best casting. The result is a fascinating documentary from Tom Donahue.
The documentary is about the unsung heroes in film which are the casting directors where their impact happened during the late 1950s and early 1960s when the old Hollywood system began to die out and actors who were in contract with the studios were becoming obsolete. One of the individuals who would make some great discoveries for the films that were to come in the 1960s through the 1980s was Marion Dougherty who worked in New York City as she discovered Jon Voight, Gene Hackman, Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, and many others. Her discovery of those actors would be crucial as she would later find a Hollywood counterpart in Lyn Stalmaster who would also make discoveries like John Travolta and Jeff Bridges as the former was originally supposed to be in Hal Ashby’s 1973 film The Last Detail but then Randy Quaid came in and got the part.
Dougherty’s brilliance in casting led to a great collaboration with George Roy Hill that not only got her to cast people like Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and John Lithgow but also help various individuals who would also be key players in the casting process. Among these individuals who would be Dougherty’s associates like Wally Nicita and Juliet Taylor as they would bring key importance to many films as Taylor would become one of Woody Allen’s most important collaborators. When Dougherty moved to Hollywood in the mid-70s to be the head of casting at Paramount for a few years until joining Warner Brothers. Her decision to cast Danny Glover as Murtaugh in the first Lethal Weapon film was a surprise as Richard Donner owes a great debt of gratitude towards her.
Tom Donahue’s direction showcases the importance of casting director and why Dougherty’s influence should be noted as the Academy Awards still refuse to put a casting category in the list. While there were several actors and filmmakers who tried to plea to the Academy to give Dougherty a special Oscar, they refused. Even as filmmaker Taylor Hackford explains his side about why casting directors shouldn’t have director in their title while filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood disagree with Hackford’s views as they also give credit to their casting directors.
Through the cinematography of Peter Bolte and Jill Schweitzer’s editing, the interviews are presented quite simply with Dougherty being the big star as she shows pictures and such including a scene where she watches Slaughterhouse Five which was the first film where she got a big credit for her work. With the sound editing of Steve Bucino and Leigh Roberts’ low-key yet playful score, the film shows the evolution of casting and how it kind of lost importance by the late 90s as studios were starting to be run by corporations who are more concerned with faces and money rather than who is right for a part.
Casting By is a marvelous documentary from Tom Donahue about the world of casting directors and the influence that the late Marion Dougherty had provided. It’s a film that showcases not just their importance to the world of films but also the discoveries they made and the actors who are grateful towards them as well as the filmmakers. In the end, Casting By is a wonderful documentary from Tom Donahue.
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine is the story about a woman whose husband had been arrested over his criminal activities forcing her to live with her estranged sister in San Francisco as she tries to get her life back on track. The film is an exploration into a woman trying to start over as she had been nearly thwarted by scandal as she turns to her younger sister for help despite her middle-class lifestyle. Starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, and Alec Baldwin. Blue Jasmine is a brilliant yet captivating film from Woody Allen.
What happens to a woman whose wealthy life comes crashes down when her husband is revealed to be a crook as she is forced to move in with her working-class sister? That is essentially the premise of the film where Jasmine Francis (Cate Blanchett) has lost everything as she spent the last of whatever little money she had left to fly from New York City to San Francisco to live with her estranged adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and her two kids. Yet, Jasmine is appalled by her sister’s lower-middle class lifestyle and her choice of men as she is desperate to get herself back to the upper-class life but her mental state as well as reflections of her old life with her former husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) would make her uneasy around many people including Ginger.
Woody Allen creates a very interesting narrative where it moves back-and-forth from the new life that Jasmine has to live in San Francisco and the old life she had in New York City where she had money, lived in expensive houses, wore expensive clothes, and have the finest social gatherings out there. Though Ginger and her ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) were impressed by what Jasmine and Hal had during their trip to NYC, they preferred the simpler life though Ginger would be the one to discover something about Hal that she had kept a secret until everything went wrong. Due to Hal’s financial schemes, Augie’s chance to have his own business is finished that led to him and Ginger getting a divorced as Ginger is trying to have a new relationship with a mechanic named Chili (Bobby Cannavale).
One aspect of the script that is very interesting is Jasmine’s own sense of elitism and narcissism as she criticizes her sister for the life she lives and the idea that Ginger is always around men whom she thinks are losers. Though Ginger would later meet a sound engineer named Al (Louis C.K.) at a party where Jasmine would meet an aspiring politician named Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard). Ginger’s relationship with Al would only make her feel insecure as she becomes confused of whether to be with Al or Chili. Jasmine’s own pursuit of Dwight would eventually be her own undoing as she would lie to win Dwight’s heart but elements of her past would come back to haunt her.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in the way he presents the film while he gives the scenes set in New York City and San Francisco different atmospheres into the way it plays to Jasmine’s life. For the flashback scenes in New York City, everything is vast and posh where it’s all set in very rich sections including some of the beach homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in. Yet, it’s also quite artificial in some ways to showcase that not everything is as it seems to be. Allen’s approach for the scenes set in San Francisco is far more grounded with the exception of a few scenes where Jasmine is with Dwight as he turns to her about what to do with his new house.
Still, the places that Ginger and her friends take Jasmine to is a mixture of working-class environments and such that is definitely removed from the world that Jasmine is used to. Even as Jasmine reluctantly takes a job working as a receptionist for a dentist (Michael Stuhlbarg) where the direction is tighter but also quite entrancing. Even in the scenes where Jasmine is in a location talking to herself unaware of how mentally ill she’s becoming. Allen would put Jasmine often at the edge of the frame to showcase how detached she’s becoming while everyone around her is either moving on without or are just disturbed by her behavior. Overall, Allen creates a very mesmerizing film about a woman on the verge of collapse as she reluctantly faces reality.
Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does amazing work with the cinematography from the lush and colorful look of New York City to the more simplistic look of San Francisco. Editor Alisa Lepselter does fantastic work with the editing by playing to the film‘s back-and-forth structure to help establish Jasmine‘s dramatic state of mind. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorators Kris Boxell and Regina Graves and art directors Michael E. Goldman and Doug Hustzi, does excellent work with the set pieces from the homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in to the more quaint, simpler apartment that Ginger lives in.
Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does superb work with the costumes from the posh clothes that Jasmine wears to the more blue-collar look of Ginger to display the two different worlds the women live in. Sound editor Robert Hein does nice work with the sound from the chaotic world of Ginger‘s apartment to the more serene world that Jasmine used to live in. The film’s wonderful soundtrack largely consists of jazz music from Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jimmy Noone, Lizzie Miles, Conal Fowkes, Julius Block, and Trixie Smith as it all would play to Jasmine’s state of mind as she would often say how Blue Moon reminds her of how she met Hal.
The casting by Juliet Taylor and Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Max Rutherford and Daniel Jenks as Ginger and Augie’s sons, Charlie Tahan as the adolescent version of Hal’s son Danny, Tammy Blanchard and Annie McNamara as a couple of Jasmine’s friends, and Max Casella as a friend of Chili’s who tries to woo Jasmine. Other noteworthy small yet effective supporting performances include Michael Stuhlbarg as a dentist Jasmine briefly works for while Alden Ehrenreich is terrific as Hal’s son Danny who disappears after feeling humiliated over what his father did. Louis C.K. is excellent as Al as a man Ginger meets at a party as she thinks he could be someone that Jasmine would like. Bobby Cannavale is amazing as Chili as an auto mechanic who loves Ginger while tries to be nice to Jasmine only to feel insecure as he desperately tries to do right for Ginger despite his anger.
Peter Sarsgaard is superb as the aspiring politician Dwight who falls for Jasmine and wants to marry her until he learns the truth about who she is. Andrew Dice Clay is fantastic in a small but memorable performance as Ginger’s ex-husband Augie who is stung by a deal gone bad thanks to Hal as Clay brings a charm to his role in the flashbacks as a simple guy while has this scene with Blanchett that shows a bitterness and loss that he is suffering from which makes his performance a real surprise from the famed comedian. Alec Baldwin is great as Hal as a man who is a schemer that gives Jasmine this very lavish world only to be unveiled as a crook who had stolen from everyone including Augie.
The film’s best performances definitely go to both Sally Hawkins and Cate Blanchett. Hawkins brings a liveliness to the role of Ginger as a woman who has a complicated life but one that she can handle as she is also trying to find something better while eventually coming to the conclusion that she might need more after all. Blanchett is tremendous as Jasmine where she brings this very intense performance of a woman whose life crashes down as she tries to adjust to reality and is desperate to go back to the upper-class world while taking jabs at Chili and those she feels are beneath her. Blanchett and Hawkins have great chemistry together as two sisters who care for each other but it’s a relationship that is also dysfunctional as Hawkins tries to defend her lifestyle while Blanchett would be critical where it would have some very big revelations about Jasmine and her own life.
Blue Jasmine is a remarkable film from Woody Allen thanks in part to Cate Blanchett’s leading performance as well as a sensational supporting performance from Sally Hawkins. Along with notable supporting work from Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis C.K., and Bobby Cannavale. It’s a film that explores the very complex yet chaotic relationship between two sisters as well as one woman facing the reality when the life that she once had turns out to be a façade. In the end, Blue Jasmine is a phenomenal film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
