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
Based on the novel Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed, Reds is the story of John Reed’s account of the Russian Revolution as he begins an affair with socialite Louise Bryant who joins him in taking part of the revolution. Directed by Warren Beatty and screenplay by Beatty and Trevor Griffiths, the film is an exploration into the world of the Russian Revolution as it is told by those who survived the Revolution as well as dramatic accounts of Reed’s coverage as he is played by Beatty with Diane Keaton as Bryant. Also starring Edward Herrmann, Maureen Stapleton, Jerzy Kosinski, Paul Sorvino, Nicolas Coster, Gene Hackman, and Jack Nicholson as Eugene O’Neill. Reds is an enthralling yet evocative film from Warren Beatty.
Set in the span of five years with interviews from those who lived during a tumultuous period in world history, the film is the story about the life of the journalist John Reed who tries to make a difference where he and his then-wife Louise Bryant would witness the Russian Revolution in 1917 where he would later try to create a similar revolution in the U.S. It’s a film that is sort of a rise-and-fall story where John Reed wants to do something in the world of socialism as he and several intellects want to do something for the workers while living a carefree lifestyle with Bryant who would later join him and become part of his world. Yet, it’s also a love story between these two from the moment they meet in his hometown of Portland, Oregon in 1915 where she aspires to be a journalist to his death in 1920 in Russia. All of which plays into two people wanting to make a difference for a better world where they eventually realize that it’s not as easy as they think it is.
The film’s screenplay by Warren Beatty and Trevor Griffiths, with additional contributions by Elaine May and Robert Towne, explores how Bryant and Reed met where it was merely by accident as Bryant heard of Reed through his work as a journalist as she is a socialite married to a dentist that has become bored of her world. After a series of gatherings, Bryant goes to New York City where she is introduced to Reed’s circle of friends and intellects that include the playwright Eugene O’Neill, Max Eastman (Edward Herrmann), and the renowned anarchist Emma Goldman (Maureen Stapleton). Bryant would be overwhelmed by these people but eventually would come into her own despite some issues with Reed as she feels like she doesn’t fit in. While their relationship had complications often due to Reed’s willingness to do something for the socialist movement in America with Bryant often being on her own where she would have an affair with O’Neill.
The first act would be about Bryant and Reed’s affair and their marriage where they try to have a normal life but things get troubled because of Reed’s frequent absences to cover things like the 1916 election and taking part in activist meetings. The second act would be about their time in Russia where Reed would write his seminal book as Bryant would find a role in giving lectures as the two believe they’ve done something where Reed goes from being a successful writer to trying to succeed in the world of politics where he tries to do something for an American communist party. Even as he would find himself sparing with other members about motives where he goes to Russia in the hope to get some endorsement. Instead, the third act represents Reed’s fall where he is stuck in Russia as he goes to the country illegally while unaware of the tension that is going on between Russia and Finland over ideals as well as the former’s own view of what communism should be prompting Bryant to make her journey to enter Russia illegally that would add a lot of the drama that occurs in the third act.
Beatty’s direction is quite vast as he would create something that is very offbeat in terms of its narrative structure as well as how he would dramatize these events and the real people involved. While his presentation with the interviews of the people such as the novelist Henry Miller, Roger Nash Baldwin, and many other people who were witnesses to these events that Reed and Bryant are simple. Even as they help set up certain stories about the two along with some gossip about what Reed and Bryant were doing as many of Beatty’s images sort of create images that look like paintings but also compositions that are rich and intoxicating. Most notably the scenes in New York and parts of Great Britain as the east coast to play into a time of innocence but also the desire for change as there’s some Americans who oppose going into World War I as they believe it’s all about profit.
For the scenes set in Russia, much of it is shot in Finland as well as a few locations in Spain and Sweden where it plays into a world that is quite big. Notably as Beatty takes great usage of the wide shots for a few scenes of conflict along with large images of rallies and marches that went on in Russia. There is something that feels grand in these scenes but once the film returns to Russia amidst a fallout over American communists disagreeing about what to do. The film does change where it is not just about the fallacies of revolutions but also why communism in America would never work as it would force Reed to see that as well as deal about what is more important as it relates to Bryant. Even as Bryant would go into her own journey to travel to Russia which would be just as adventurous as Reed’s which shows how much they love each other and why that love is more important than some revolution. Overall, Beatty creates an absolutely sensational and entrancing film about John Reed’s life and his love for Louise Bryant.
Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro does incredible work with the film‘s photography as it plays into a sense of naturalistic lighting schemes for some of the interiors and some of the daytime scenes along with its lush usage of lights for some scenes and some stylish filter shots to play into some of the exteriors set at night as it is one of the film‘s major highlights. Editors Dede Allen and Craig McKay do excellent work with the editing with its back-and-forth cutting style with the interviews and the dramatization as well as some rhythmic cuts for the action and dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Richard Sylbert, with set decorator Michael Sierton and art director Simon Holland, does amazing work with the design of some of the places in Russia from the palaces in its pre-revolution settings to the look of the apartments in its post-revolution as well as the homes in America where Reed and Bryant lived in.
Costume designer Shirley Ann Russell does fantastic work with the costumes to display what American socialites wore in the late 1910s as well as the more ragged look of the Russians during the post-revolution days. Sound editor Richard P. Cirincione does superb work with the sound to capture some of the sound work that goes on at the meetings as well as quieter moments though the highlight of the sound editing is in the way the recollections of the people interviewed are used in some of the scenes in the film. The film’s music by Stephen Sondheim and Dave Grusin is brilliant with Sondheim providing some old-school rag-time and jazz music to play into the period of the times while Grusin would bring in some orchestral pieces to play into the drama and action.
The casting by Noel Davis and Patsy Pollock is wonderful as it features notable small appearances from M. Emmet Walsh as a liberal party speaker, Roger Sloman as Vladimir Lenin, Oleg Kerensky as Alexander Kerensky, Stuart Richman as Leon Trotsky, George Plimpton as newspaper editor Horace Whigham, Nicholas Coster as Louise’s first husband Paul Trullinger, Harry Ditson as the political artist Maurice Becker, Max Wright as the literary critic Floyd Dell, William Daniels as a socialist party leader in Julius Gerber, and Gene Hackman in a small yet terrific performance as newspaper editor Peter Van Wherry. Paul Sorvino is excellent as an Italian founder of the American Communist party in Louis C. Fraina who wants to do something for the party but has a hard time trying to get things in order due to the demands of others including Reed.
Jerzy Kosinski is superb as Bolshevik leader Grigory Zinoviev who is trying to instill his idea of socialism as he would have conflicts with Reed over how loyal he is towards the revolution. Edward Herrmann is fantastic as Max Eastman as a friend of Reed who also is part of a socialist movement until things go a little too far as he decides to walk away from the movement. Maureen Stapleton is amazing as Emma Goldman as the renowned and outspoken anarchist who is against America’s participation in World War I as she wants socialism to come to America where she is later exiled to Russia where she becomes disillusioned with their ideas of socialism. Jack Nicholson is brilliant as Eugene O’Neill as the playwright who begins an affair with Bryant as he is a man of passion and care while he copes with wanting to be something for Bryant that Reed couldn’t be as he would later help her in the third act.
Diane Keaton is phenomenal as Louise Bryant as a socialite who aspires to write as she befriends Reed and later becomes his wife where she gets caught up in his world where Keaton brings a lot of weight and charisma to her performance. Finally, there’s Warren Beatty in a remarkable performance as John Reed as a journalist who is eager to do something in the hopes he can do good for the workers of America as he would cover the Russian Revolution and later deal with illness and disillusionment over the way the Russians would run things in its aftermath. Beatty and Keaton have some great chemistry in their scenes together in the way they argue as well as in tender moments as they both provide moments that are truly among the highlights of the film.
Reds is a tremendously sprawling and rich film from Warren Beatty that features great performances from Beatty, Diane Keaton, Maureen Stapleton, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino, and Jack Nicholson. Along with Vittorio Storaro’s gorgeous cinematography as well as some amazing technical work and interviews from those who lived during that period. It’s a film that isn’t just an interesting historical film that explores America’s brief flirtation with socialism and the Russian Revolution but also an insight into a man’s attempt for change nearly cost him everything including the woman he loves. In the end, Reds is an outstanding film from Warren Beatty.
Warren Beatty Films: (Heaven Can Wait) - (Dick Tracy) - (Bulworth) - (Untitled Howard Hughes Project)
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Coppola and Mario Puzo that is based on Puzo’s The Godfather novel series, The Godfather Part III is the story of Michael Corleone’s attempt to gain legitimacy away from the world of the Mafia as he makes a deal with the Vatican bank only for things to go wrong as it involves an illegitimate nephew who wants to help Corleone in getting rid of his enemies. The third and final part of The Godfather trilogy, the film is an exploration of Michael Corleone’s attempt to find redemption as he also copes with guilt over his past actions as Al Pacino reprises his role as Michael Corleone as he’s joined by Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Richard Bright, and Al Martino reprising their famed roles from previous films. Also starring Andy Garcia, Sofia Coppola, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, John Savage, Donal Donnelly, Helmut Berger, and Eli Wallach. The Godfather Part III is a compelling yet flawed film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Set in the late 1970s, the film revolves around Michael Corleone’s attempt to detach himself from the criminal world as he had reinvented himself as a philanthropist while leaving his other business to other people where it begins to fall apart. When an opportunity arises to buy shares from one of the world’s biggest banks in the Vatican’s Immobiliare, Corleone sees it as a chance to become a fully-legitimized businessman. Still, elements of his past dealings with the Mafia come back to haunt him as his enforcer Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna) has been running Corleone’s territory into ruins forcing an illegitimate nephew of Corleone in Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia) to wanting to get control back. Once it becomes clear that there are those trying to get rid of Corleone not just over the deal but for other reasons, Corleone decides to have Vincent take over but with Vincent to disconnect himself with his cousin in Corleone’s daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola).
The film’s screenplay plays into not just Michael Corleone’s attempt to be part of society and make himself legitimate but also carry the guilt over the way he rose into power. Especially as the demons of his past would return in ways he didn’t expect as he is facing new enemies who play by different rules as well as those whom he thought were his friends. The chaos that emerges in Corleone’s life forces him to look towards Vincent for help as well as the advice of his sister Connie (Talia Shire) and longtime bodyguard Al Neri (Richard Bright). It is around the same time that Michael makes amend with his estranged ex-wife Kay (Diane Keaton) after pushing her away from his dealings just as Michael is seeking redemption for his past actions and sins. Still, Corleone copes with issues regarding the Immobiliare as well as the involvement of his old family friend Don Altobello (Eli Wallach) who is the most interesting character in the film. An old man that may seem weak and frail but it’s just a front for who he really is.
It’s among the interesting aspects of the script but there’s elements in that script that involves real-life events such as the death of Pope John Paul I as well as the Papal banking scandal of the early 80s definitely becomes too overwhelming and not as fleshed it for the main story which relates to Michael Corleone’s attempt for legitimacy and redemption. Another aspect of the script that doesn’t work involves the relationship between Mary and Vincent where it does border into the world of incest since the two are related to the Corleone family as Vincent was the illegitimate son of Michael’s eldest brother Sonny as Vincent bears reminders of the father he never really knew. It’s among some of the weak aspects of the script as well as the missed presence of a major character in the series in Tom Hagen, whose character is revealed to have died, as the only connection that is presented in the film is his son Andrew (John Savage) who is a priest that helps Michael in dealing with the Immobiliare.
Francis Ford Coppola’s direction is quite interesting as it’s set in three different places such as Rome, New York City, and Palermo, Sicily as it plays into a world that is changing but things are far more ruthless as they when Michael was ruling the Corleone family. Yet, Coppola retains the look of its predecessors while aiming for something that is rich but also play into a world that is changing where Michael Corleone is unaware that he is on his way out. Coppola’s compositions are still potent in the way he frames some of the drama as well as play into some of the film’s violence which is quite brutal in the way characters are killed and such. Some of the drama has Coppola use some unique medium shots and close-ups as it includes a very mesmerizing scene where Michael makes his first confession in many years to Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone) who is one of the few good men in the world. It’s a scene where Michael Corleone finally reveal his sins as it is also this brief moment where the man could find redemption.
It’s among these very keen moments in the film that works while some of the elements in the film as it relates to Vincent’s attraction towards Mary are among some of the things in the film that doesn’t work. Even as Coppola isn’t able to really do anything new as the film’s climax at an opera house does have an air of theatricality in a montage that does play as a homage to elements of films of the past. Yet, it’s aftermath does have an air of tragedy as it plays to not just the sins of Michael Corleone but also the fact that all of his attempts to get those closest to him away from that dark world aren’t exempt. Especially as he realizes that the world of legitimacy that he thought he was going into is a far more treacherous world than the world of crime. Overall, Coppola creates a very captivating though very uneven film about a mobster’s attempt to find redemption and atone for his sins.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to low-key lights for the scenes at night while maintaining a sepia-drenched visual style that plays to the film’s interior looks for the scenes in day and night as well as maintaining something natural and low-key for the scenes set in Sicily. Editors Walter Murch, Lisa Fruchtman, and Barry Malkin do excellent work with the editing as it does have an air of style in some of the film‘s violent moments while creating some montages as well as some stylish dissolves to play into the drama. Production designer Dean Tavoularis and art director Alex Tavoularis do fantastic work with the set pieces from the New York City penthouse that Michael lives in as well as the look of Little Italy and the home of the Corleone family in Sicily.
Costume designer Milena Canonero does brilliant work with the costumes from the party dress that Mary wore at the opening party scene as well as the suits and dresses the characters wear in some of the posh events at the film. Sound designer Richard Beggs and sound editor Gloria S. Borders do superb work with the film‘s sound to play into some of the violence that includes the chilling helicopter attack scene as well as the moments in the opera house. The film’s music by Carmine Coppola is wonderful as his approach to lush string arrangements and somber horns play into the sense of melancholia that looms over the film along with some very offbeat cuts such as the use of the Jew-harp that serves as a theme for Don Altobello.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins, and Roger Mussenden is terrific as it features small yet notable appearances from Catherine Scorsese as an old lady who likes Vincent, Raf Vallone as Cardinal Lamberto, Enzo Robutti as the an old-school mob leader in Don Luchessi, Vittorio Duse as the old Corleone ally Don Tommasino, Mario Donatone as the assassin Mosca, Helmut Berger as an Immobiliare accountant Frederick Keinszig, John Savage as Father Andrew Hagen who would help Michael with dealings of the Immobiliare, and Al Martino who makes a wonderful appearance as the singer Johnny Fontaine for the film’s opening party scene. Performances from George Hamilton as Michael’s attorney B.J. Harrison isn’t inspiring as Hamilton really does nothing to make his performance memorable while Bridget Fonda is wasted as a photojournalist in Grace Hamilton who sleeps with Vincent as she is nearly killed for that moment. Other small roles from Richard Bright as Michael’s longtime bodyguard Al Neri, Franc D’Ambrosio as Michael’s son Anthony, and Donal Donnelly as Archbishop Gilday are pretty good as they do serve purpose for the story.
Sofia Coppola isn’t as bad that many has said about her performance as Mary Corleone but it is still quite terrible as she is unable to sell the dramatic elements of her performance as she and Andy Garcia don’t really have any chemistry. Joe Mantegna is excellent as Joey Zasa as a Corleone enforcer who has caused trouble for the Corleone crime empire forcing Vincent to take action. Talia Shire is fantastic as Connie Corleone as she becomes more involved in the Corleone family business as she would encourage Vincent to take action. Andy Garcia is superb as Vincent Mancini as the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone who attained his father’s fiery attitude as he becomes Michael’s protégé as he later copes with the role he is given as well as breaking off a relationship with his cousin Mary.
Eli Wallach is phenomenal as Don Altobello as an old family friend of the Corleone family who is a truly complex and fun character as this old man that seems like a harmless person but he’s really one of the most deceitful and cunning antagonists ever presented on film as Wallach is a major highlight of the film. Diane Keaton is brilliant as Kay Adams as Michael’s estranged ex-wife who returns to plea for Michael to let Anthony go while coping with his illness and attempts to find redemption. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a remarkable performance as Michael Corleone as he brings a lot of charm but also a weight of melancholia to the role as a man who copes with the guilt of his actions as he tries to become a legitimate businessman only to realize how corrupt it is as he searches for redemption and atonement for his sins.
The Godfather Part III is a stellar yet underwhelming film from Francis Ford Coppola. While it does feature excellent performance from Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna, and Eli Wallach along with some fine technical contributions. It’s a film that has some unique elements in its theme of redemption but is boggled down by some uninspired storylines and other things that really hinders the film though it is still an engaging one. In the end, The Godfather Part III is a superb film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Francis Ford Coppola Films: (Tonight for Sure) - (The Bellboy and the Playgirls) - Dementia 13 - (You’re a Big Boy Now) - (Finian’s Rainbow) - (The Rain People) - The Godfather - The Conversation - The Godfather Part II - Apocalypse Now/Apocalyse Now Redux - One from the Heart - The Outsiders - Rumble Fish - The Cotton Club - (Peggy Sue Got Married) - (Captain EO) - (Heart of Stone) - (Tucker: The Man and His Dreams) - New York Stories-Life Without Zoe - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (Jack) - (The Rainmaker) - (Youth Without Youth) - Tetro - (Twixt)
© thevoid99 2015
Directed and starring Woody Allen and screenplay by Allen and Marshall Brickman, Manhattan Murder Mystery is the story about a couple who find themselves involved in a murder mystery as they take part in the investigation finding what’s going on. The film a whodunit where a couple goes into the world of mystery as it marks a reunion between Allen and two of his great collaborators in co-writer Marshall Brickman and Diane Keaton who plays Allen’s wife in the film. Also starring Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston. Manhattan Murder Mystery is a fantastic suspense-comedy from Woody Allen.
The film revolves around a couple who learn that the wife of their new neighbor has died as they suspect something isn’t right. Carol (Diane Keaton) investigates what happens despite her husband Larry (Woody Allen) telling her not to. With the help of their friend Ted (Alan Alda), Carol goes further to find out what happened as she is convinced is a murder. Larry eventually helps out as he and Carol make some discoveries of their own while realizing that the killer is on to them. Turning to Larry’s author friend Marcia (Anjelica Huston) for help, Larry and Carol along with some friends decide to nab a trap in order to expose the truth. It’s a premise that is quite simple yet told in a pretty humorous manner where a couple play detectives to see whether or not their neighbor killed his wife.
The screenplay that Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman create is full of ideas that play in the world of mystery as it is driven by this couple who have been married for a long time but have lost a bit of excitement. Upon the news of this woman’s death and her husband’s behavior in its aftermath, the two become suspicious where Carol goes head on into see what is going on. Little by little, clues would emerge as they go into many revelations as Carol gets help from Ted who is a mystery buff as he would inspire Larry to get more involved. There are moments in the film where the suspense is quite intense while it allows time for Ted and Carol to deal with themselves. Eventually, the intensity of the suspense would allow the two to rely on each while calling on Ted for help as they also bring in Marcia who knows a lot about mystery as she would play a key role in the third act.
Allen’s direction is quite engaging as it is mostly straightforward where it is set entirely in Manhattan where he makes it a character in the film as there’s scenes shot at Madison Square Garden and at the Metropolitan Opera House. Still, there’s moments in the direction where Allen does play up into that approach of suspense-comedy where there’s bits of slapstick but also some very mesmerizing scenes involving intrigue. Many of the compositions Allen create are quite lively while he creates a climax that is truly thrilling as well as making it a tribute to Orson Welles’ The Lady from Shanghai as the film is also played in that climatic sequence. Overall, Allen creates a very entertaining and witty suspense-comedy that allows the audience to be engrossed in the mystery.
Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does excellent work with the cinematography from the look of some of the nighttime exteriors scenes in the city to its daytime interior and exterior scenes. Editor Susan E. Morse does amazing work with the editing as most of it is straightforward with the exception of some montages that play into Marcia‘s theories over what might‘ve happened and such. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Susan Bode and art director Speed Hopkins, does wonderful work with the set pieces from the look of the apartments that the characters live in to the theater house where Ted and Carol snoop at.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly straightforward for the men though the clothes that Carol and Marcia wear are quite fun to look as it displays their different personalities. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound from the intimacy in the locations to a very inspiring scene in the film’s third act to play a trick on the killer. The film’s soundtrack is terrific as it features an array of music from Cole Porter, Richard Wagner, Dave Brubeck Quartet, and Benny Goodman to play up some of the humor and suspense.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Aida Turturro as a hotel clerk, Wendell Pierce as a policeman, and Zach Braff in his film debut as Larry and Carol’s son Nick. Other small roles include Melanie Norris as a young actress named Helen, Marge Redmond as a woman named Mrs. Dalton, Ron Rifkin and Joy Behar as friends of Carol and Larry, Lynn Cohen as the neighbor’s wife who dies early in the film, and Jerry Adler as the mysterious neighbor Paul House. Anjelica Huston is great as the novelist Marcia Fox as a woman who is a friend of Larry as she helps out Larry, Carol, and Ted to uncover the mystery while providing some theories. Alan Alda is brilliant as Ted as a mystery buff who helps Carol in uncovering things while becoming attracted to Marcia over her theories.
Finally, there’s the duo of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in remarkable performances as Larry and Carol Lipkin. With Allen playing his usual nebbish persona and Keaton as the more outgoing of the two, the two clearly have not lost a step in their rapport with one another. Notably as Allen would provide some of the slapstick with Keaton as the more serious providing this unique balance as they are definitely the highlight of the film.
Manhattan Murder Mystery is a marvelous film from Woody Allen with superb performances from Allen, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, and Anjelica Huston. The film is definitely one of Allen’s finest as well as another top-notch collaboration between Allen, Keaton, and co-screenwriter Marshall Brickman. It’s a film definitely has great odes to mystery as well as providing elements that are full of laughs. In the end, Manhattan Murder Mystery 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 - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & 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 - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, and narrated by Woody Allen, Radio Days is about the life of an American family during the Golden Age of Radio where a man recalls his childhood during the late 1930s. The film explores the world of nostalgia and childhood innocence as it plays to a period in time when people gathered to find an escape from their dreary lives. Also starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Seth Green, Michael Tucker, Tony Roberts, Julie Kavner, Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, and a special appearance from Diane Keaton. Radio Days is a ravishing yet heartfelt film from Woody Allen.
The film is about a man named Joe recalling his life as a child (Seth Green) in the late 1930s and early 1940s during the Golden Age of Radio. Notably as he thinks about a time when families gathered to listen to the radio for different programs as he was one of those families living in Rockaway Beach in New Jersey with his parents (Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner) and relatives including his aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest). During these years, young Joe would go through many moments in his life impacted by the radio including the attacks on Pearl Harbor and all sorts of things while the older Joe would also talk about the tumultuous life of a woman named Sally White (Mia Farrow) who would eventually become a star in the radio.
Woody Allen’s screenplay is told in a reflective manner as he does the voice of the older Joe as a man who is fascinated by that period when he was a kid. Notably as he recalls the many different programs the people in his family listen to whether it’s sports, soap operas, or comedies that they listen to while Joe’s favorite program is the Masked Avenger. Allen moves the narrative back-and-forth from Joe’s childhood adventures to the story of Sally White as she goes from working at a nightclub to becoming a radio star in the span of a few years. Both narratives would play into major developments where Joe would deal with a lot of the changes in his life as would Sally who starts off as this dim-witted woman into an actress of the radio.
Allen’s direction definitely recalls some of the visual ideas but also the sensibility of Federico Fellini. Notably in capturing the idea of nostalgia and the innocence of youth as it is told from the perspective of a man thinking about a special moment in time. A lot of contains moments of great humor including a scene where young Joe and some friends try to look for Nazi planes and U-boats only to get a glimpse at a naked woman. There’s also moments where there’s some suspense but also in a comical moment involving Sally and a mob hitman (Danny Aiello) where she witnesses a murder as she pleas to not kill her where a lot of sweet moments happen. There’s also a sequence involving a moment of tragedy through the radio where it would play into an entire family coming together despite all of their dysfunctional aspects.
It all plays to something that Allen wanted to recapture in that period where people gathered to listen to something and talk about with friends and family. Especially in a period where technology was primitive and wasn’t as distracting. There’s a sadness that is prevalent in Allen’s narration over the fact that everything he’s telling are based on what his character remembers as it plays into that moment that will never be replicated. Even in scenes set in New York City where it is grand and full of life that carries a similarity to the moment Joe’s family are in this little house as they’re also having fun. Overall, Allen creates a very majestic and exhilarating film about nostalgia and the innocence of childhood.
Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous cinematography from many of the colorless yet vibrant cinematography of the New Jersey exteriors to more exquisite lighting schemes for some of the posh interior settings. Editor Susan E. Morse does brilliant work with the editing to find ways to help the narrative move back and forth while using some rhythmic cuts to play out its humor. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with art director Speed Hopkins and set decorators Carol Joffe, Leslie Bloom, and George DeTitta Jr., does fabulous work with the set pieces from the cramped intimacy of Joe’s home as well as the look of Rockaway Beach, New Jersey to some scenes in New York City including the nightclub rooftop.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does excellent work with the costumes to create that period in time from the fashionable clothes that Bea wears to the many different dresses that Sally wears. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to create layers of mixing for the way the radio sounds from its soundstage to the people listening to it. Music supervisor Dick Hyman creates a very dazzling soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times from Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many others.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from William H. Macy as a radio actor, Todd Field as a crooner, Don Pardo and Tony Roberts as radio hosts, Wallace Shawn as the voice of the Masked Avenger, Kenneth Mars as Joe’s rabbi, Larry David as a Communist neighbor, Jeff Daniels as revered radio actor Biff Baxter, Danny Aiello as mob hitman Rocco, Sydney Blake as the naked woman Joe and his friends saw, and Diane Keaton as the New Year’s Eve singer in the film’s final moments. Other notable performances include Zero Mostel as Joe’s uncle Abe, Renee Lipin as his aunt Ceil, Leah Carey and William Magerman as Joe’s grandparents, and Dianne Wiest in a wonderful performance as the dreamy Aunt Bea who is always searching for love.
Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner are great as Joe’s parents as a couple who often bicker towards each other as they also love each other no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves. Seth Green is excellent as the young Joe as a kid who is amazed by his surroundings as Green brings a sense of charm and energy to his role. Finally, there’s Mia Farrow in a remarkable performance as Sally White as an aspiring actress who starts at the bottom being a mistress for a radio star to finally becoming one as Farrow brings a lot of humor and strange voice accents to her character.
Radio Days is a magnificent film from Woody Allen. Armed with a great cast and an engaging yet touching theme on nostalgia, it is a film that is definitely one of Allen’s most entertaining and heartfelt films. Notably as it showcases a place in time where the radio brought people together. In the end, Radio Days is a triumphant film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & 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 - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & 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 - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Interiors is the story about three adult sisters dealing with the separation of their parents as they have a reaction towards this separation. Inspired by the works of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, the film is a full-on drama that explores the world of marriage and family. Starring Diane Keaton, Geraldine Page, Mary Beth Hurt, E.G. Marshall, Maureen Stapleton, Kristin Griffith, Richard Jordan, and Sam Waterston. Interiors is a compelling yet mesmerizing film from Woody Allen.
The film is the story about three women who are dealing with the separation of their parents as it relates to their very artistic yet mentally-unstable mother. For the older sisters in Renata (Diane Keaton) and Joey (Mary Beth Hurt), both would have a different reaction towards the news as they have to deal with their mother Eve (Geraldine Page) who is known for being an interior decorator but is someone who is very aloof and is a bit of a control freak. Notably as Eve is having a very hard time dealing with her separation from Arthur (E.G. Marshall) while the youngest daughter Flyn (Kristin Griffith) is away working on a movie as an actress. When Arthur returns from his trip to Greece, he arrives with a woman named Pearl (Maureen Stapleton) that would shake the foundation of the entire family as well as some the attributes that Pearl carries that the women realize that their mother never had.
Woody Allen’s screenplay is a major departure from his previous work which was comedy where he goes into a full-on drama. In exploring the complexities of family and marriage, he also reveals how fragile this family dynamic is where it’s sort of told in a non-linear fashion early on where Renata is talking to a psychiatrist about her mother and how troubled she is. There’s also some tension between Renata and Joey where the two seem to resent each other as they often have to watch their mother after a suicide attempt yet neither of them seem capable of taking care of her as they’re busy with their own lives. Renata has become obsessed with death as she’s suffering from writer’s block while her husband Frederick (Richard Jordan) is dealing with negative reactions towards his own book. Joey is a woman who has no idea what she wants to do as she is more attached to her mother though there’s also a sense of resentment as her husband Mike (Sam Waterston) has a very testy relationship with Eve.
When Pearl is introduced in the film’s second half, there is a bit of a tonal shift of sorts where Pearl is a woman who is more open with her feelings and is very kind to people around her. While she is admittedly not in tune with politics or art, she makes up for it with the fact that she does know things and is also someone who is full of charm. Plus, she makes Arthur very happy where he can be more outgoing yet it causes tension between himself and Joey. While Renata isn’t happy about the news either, she wants to support her father while knowing that Eve will not handle it very well at all as she is still clinging to the idea that she and Arthur will get back together.
Allen’s direction in the film definitely recalls a lot of the compositional style and framing of Ingmar Bergman. While Allen does infuse some of his own ideas into the shooting, he does maintain this air of melancholia and dread into the drama where something is going to happen. Yet, he takes it very slow to showcase a family that is unraveling through these changes as well as the fact that there’s a woman in that family who is becoming more detached and impossible to deal with. The first half of the film is a completely straightforward drama where there are elements of melodrama as Allen infuses a sense of coldness that is lurking. Even in the framing of where he puts his actors in a frame where he will shoot from afar at times while keeping the camera still for most of the time.
In its second half, things do get a bit warmer when the character of Pearl arrives as she liven things up a bit with her personality. Plus, her presence including a party scene with the entire family minus Eve features the only use of music in the film that is played on location. Still, there is a sense of dramatic tension in the way both Renata and Joey react towards Pearl as it will play to some huge moment. Even in the film’s very emotional penultimate sequence where Allen showcases not just all of the resentment and anger that had been looming towards Eve. There’s also a sense of sadness in how detached Eve was with her children and with Arthur though the latter does love her deeply but admits she was impossible to deal with. Overall, Allen creates a very haunting yet evocative drama about family.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis does brilliant work with the film‘s photography where it‘s mostly shot in interior settings to underscore the mood in some of its locations while using the scenes at the beach house to play up the film‘s melancholia with its use of low-key lights and natural setting for some of its exterior scenes. Editor Ralph Rosenblum does excellent work with the editing to create very steady yet methodical cuts to underplay the drama as well as keeping things low-key to create some effective moments in the drama. Production designer Mel Bourne, along with set decorators Mario Mazzola and Daniel Robert, does amazing work with the set pieces from the apartments that Renata and Joey live in to Eve’s interior decorating work place and the family beach house.
Costume designer Joel Schumacher does nice work with the costumes where a lot of the clothes from the characters doesn‘t have any sense of color where it is intentionally bland with the exception of Pearl who wears clothes that are colorful to match her warm personality. The sound work of Nathan Boxer is superb for the sense of intimacy that occurs in many of the film’s location setting from the sounds of the waves in the beach house scenes to the more intense moment in a meeting between Arthur and Eve at a church.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Kristin Griffith as the youngest sister in the actress Flyn who is often away and somewhat oblivious to what is happening while Richard Jordon is terrific as Renata’s husband Frederick who is dealing with his failings as a writer as he finds himself attracted towards Flyn. Sam Waterston is wonderful as Joey’s husband Mike who is often frustrated towards Eve as he is also dealing with Joey’s sense of aimlessness. Maureen Stapleton is amazing as Pearl as this woman who is so full of warmth and love as she is someone that likes to have fun while being gracious towards the people around her. E.G. Marshall is excellent as Arthur as a man who does love Eve but feels overwhelmed by her behavior as he seeks to escape where he falls for Pearl as he’s eager to find something in his life that isn’t complicated with the support of his daughters.
Mary Beth Hurt is brilliant as the middle sister Joey who is troubled by her mother’s declining state while feeling lost in her role in life as she takes it out on Renata while becoming more angry by Pearl’s presence as well as her mother’s lack of love towards her. Diane Keaton is phenomenal as the eldest daughter Renata who is dealing with a troubled marriage and her mother’s mental illness as she tries to comprehend everything while trying to keep everything grounded including her own relationship with Joey. Finally, there’s Geraldine Page in a remarkable performance as Eve as she brings this sense of aloofness to a woman detached from reality as she believes Arthur will come back to her only to fall prey to the truth as Page has this haunting quality in some of the quieter moments to display a woman who is becoming more lost in the real world.
Interiors is a ravishing yet intense drama from Woody Allen that features a great ensemble cast that includes Geraldine Page, Diane Keaton, E.G. Marshall, Maureen Stapleton, and Mary Beth Hurt. While it’s a film that is definitely different from Allen’s more light-hearted comedic work, it is still a very engrossing film that explores the world of family and how fragile it can be. It’s also a fascinating ode to the works of Ingmar Bergman where Allen is able to put his own spin on Bergman’s style. In the end, Interiors is an exquisite 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 - 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 & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & 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 - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, Love and Death is the story about two people going into various discussions about everything during the Napoleonic era in Russia. Inspired by the Russian literature of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy, the film is a parody of sorts of their work where it plays into big themes about philosophy and such. Also starring Diane Keaton, James Tolkan, Jessica Harper, and Harold Gould. Love and Death is a hilarious and intelligent film from Woody Allen.
The film is set in the 19th Century in Russia where Napoleon Bonaparte (James Tolkan) has invaded the country as war is happening between Russia and France. Yet, it revolves around a man named Boris (Woody Allen) and his distant cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton) as they endure many events during this period where Boris reluctantly becomes a soldier and a war hero while Sonja marries an old man only to have many lovers but no sense of love. When the two are brought together after a duel that Boris had taken part in, questions about love and death emerge while Napoleon has taken Moscow. The two eventually plan an assassination on Napoleon where things don’t go well as the two begin to questions about the moralities of death and such.
Allen’s screenplay explores the relationship between Boris and Sonja where they are both very smart but also flawed as Boris is a coward who is more interested in art than fighting for his country. Sonja is a woman that is in love with one of Boris’ brothers as she resigned her fate to marry old men for money where she takes on many lovers that leaves her unfulfilled. When fate brings them together, they both have aspirations for what they want to do with their lives yet Allen creates a second act where both Boris and Sonja face their own existential crises that would eventually make way for their trek to Moscow to kill Napoleon. Along the way, Allen puts in dialogue that is filled with a lot of discussions on existentialism as well as the idea of love and death which plays into the development of its lead characters.
Allen’s direction is definitely ambitious in the way he presents the film as it’s shot on location in parts of France and Hungary to create a world where things are absurd as well as chaotic. The direction has Allen employing some stylistic gags and comedic moments but also displaying something that is filled with rich imagery including an ode to compositional shots of Ingmar Bergman. Some of the more light-hearted moments in the comedy has Allen utilizing shots that are still filled with some elegance while keeping the comedy subtle. There’s also moments where Allen is taking shots at the period film by employing some anachronistic moments such as him playing cheerleader during a battle or quoting poems and such that came out after the Napoleonic period. Overall, Allen creates a very funny and smart comedy about love and death in all of its absurdities.
Cinematographer Ghislain Choquet does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the use of naturalistic shots in some of the film‘s exterior settings to more stylish looks for its interiors including some of the party scenes that happen. Editors Ralph Rosenblum, Ron Kalish, and George Hively do amazing work with the editing by creating some dazzling rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s battle scenes as well as some of its comedic moments. Art director Willy Holt does wonderful work with the set pieces to play up the look and splendor of early 19th Century houses and rooms.
Costume designer Gladys de Segonzac does fantastic work with the period costumes from the uniforms that Boris wears to the dresses that Sonja wears. Sound mixer Daniel Brisseau does nice work with the sound to capture some of the gags that are played out in some of the funny moments as well as the atmosphere of the battle scenes. The film’s music features pieces by Sergei Prokofiev that is a mix of traditional Russian folk music with orchestral string arrangements to play up some of the film’s humor.
The casting by Miriam Brickman, Juliet Taylor, and Blanche Wiesenfeld is brilliant as it features appearances from Jessica Harper as Sonja’s cousin Natasha, Zvee Scooler as Boris’ idiotic father, Alfred Lutter as the young Boris, Olga Georges-Picot as Countess Alexandrovna whom Boris sleeps with, Harold Gould as the Countess’ fiancée Anton Ivanovich Lebedokov who challenges Boris to a duel, and James Tolkan in a very funny performance as Napoleon Bonaparte and his dim-witted double. Finally, there’s the duo of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in fantastic performances in their respective roles as Boris and Sonja where the two really brings a sense of energy and wit to their roles with Allen as his nebbish persona and Keaton as the more straight person where they are really the highlights of the film.
Love and Death is a phenomenal film from Woody Allen that features great leading performances from Allen and Diane Keaton as well as providing a witty commentary on the Napoleonic period of Russia. It’s also a film that pays tribute to the literature of the time as well as European cinema while balancing it with Allen’s off-kilter approach to humor. In the end, Love and Death is a tremendous 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 - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah and Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & 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 - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Directed and starring Woody Allen and written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, Sleeper is the story about a health food store owner who was frozen for 200 years only to wake up in a totalitarian state where things are going very wrong. Based on H.G. Wells’ When the Sleeper Wakes, the film is a parody on the world of science fiction films while playing up the idea of a man trying to change the world that he has no idea about. Also starring Diane Keaton, John Beck, Marya Small, and Susan Miller. Sleeper is a witty yet farcical sci-fi comedy from Woody Allen.
The revolves a health food store owner named Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) who is awoken 200 years later in 2173 where the world is in a totalitarian state. After evading government forces who had kidnapped the doctors who had woken him up, Monroe disguises himself as a robot where he falls for a socialite named Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton) whom he later kidnaps as they try to find the rebel group to overthrow the dictator who had been ruling the country. Along the way, mayhem ensues as Monroe bumbles his way through situations while Luna would discover things outside of her rich world.
The screenplay that Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman create plays up to a world where the rich are oblivious about the realities they’re living in while there are those that know the truth. For Miles, he is baffled by the future as he observes everything around him while there’s a lot in the future that makes no sense to him except for the people around him. With no identity in the future, he is believed to be an alien until he convinces Luna as she begins to question about her world where she is later taken by the rebellion. There’s a lot of satire in not just the idea of totalitarianism but also the idea of revolution where Miles is someone who knows a lot about its flaws.
Allen’s direction in the film is definitely stylish in not just the way he presents 23rd Century America with its cars and buildings but also the idea that the future is sort of off-kilter. While he incorporates some slapstick comedy in his approach to humor including Miles’ own antics and reactions towards machines. Still, there are some interesting compositions that Allen creates to play up an element of comical suspense as well as the fact that he’s making fun of the idea of revolutions. Notably as he creates moments where he’s not afraid to make fun of genres or be quite silly as far as sex is concerned where his character gets a chance to get inside an orgasm scene. There’s also gags that often keeps working that involves a bazooka connected to some detonator and it always go wrong which suggest that even in the future, nothing works. Overall, Allen creates a very smart and hilarious film about dystopia and the idea to be human.
Cinematographer David M. Walsh does excellent work with the photography from some of the lighting schemes of the interiors to the more natural setting in its exterior scenes. Editors Ralph Rosenblum, O. Nicholas Brown, and Ron Kalish do amazing work with the editing to create some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s funny moments as well as a few montages for some of the character based moments. Production designer Dale Hennesy and set decorator Gary Moreno do fantastic work with the look of the futuristic homes and bases along with the cars to create this strange idea of the future.
Costume designer Joel Schumacher does nice work with the costumes where it does play to that sense of absurdity in the hairstyles and clothes in a party scene as well as the clothes of the revolutionaries. Sound mixer Jason Solomon does terrific work with the sound to create the idea of the future in some of the hospital and factory based scenes along with more natural sounds in its locations. The film’s music by Woody Allen is brilliant work with the music as it’s mostly a playful approach to ragtime jazz music that is quite comical.
The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is superb as it features a voice appearance from Jackie Mason as a robot, Susan Miller as a government aide accompanying Miles after he’s been captured, Mayra Small and Mary Gregory as a couple of doctors Miles meets early in the film who tells him to go to the rebels, and John Beck as the revolutionary leader that Luna falls for inspiring jealousy from Miles. Finally, there’s the duo of Diane Keaton and Woody Allen in marvelous performances with Keaton as the very naïve Luna who deals with her situation as she’s later introduced to revolutionary ideas. Allen as the surprised Miles as a man who is wakes up after being frozen for 200 years as he tries to comprehend everything. The two together make a great comic duo where they have wonderful chemistry while not being afraid to be very silly with one another.
Sleeper is a remarkable film from Woody Allen that is definitely one of his finest films and one of his great collaborations with Diane Keaton. The film isn’t just a smart satire in the world of dystopia but also a very funny film that plays to how silly the idea of a futuristic world can be. It’s also a film that isn’t afraid to go into slapstick while creating some witty commentary about revolutions, politics, and religion. In the end, Sleeper is a sensational film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - 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 & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & 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 - (Irrational Man)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
