Avoiding Woody Allen? Give 'Midnight in Paris' a try
Lately I have been reviving my love for Woody Allen movies.
Recently, I saw a two-part documentary on Allen that reminded me of his prolific output as a writer, comedian, playwright and director. I began reading the short stories of Woody Allen in high school, some 40 years ago. That’s where I started seeing films such as “Bananas,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Play It Again, Sam,” “Sleeper” and “Love and Death.”
Then, in 1977, Allen made “Annie Hall.” It was both funny and poignant. For many people my age, it captured the bittersweet nature of relationships and perfectly summed up its wisdom in the punch line of an ancient vaudeville joke. While some of us were watching, Allen had turned into a serious filmmaker.
But his films were almost never box office hits. “Annie Hall” won four Academy Awards, but its box office take even now totals just $38 million. Some of his films earn just a million or two. I acknowledge that for some people, Allen is a pill, unfunny and creepy because of the origin of his relationship with his wife, Soon-Yi Previn.
Despite his lack of clout at the box office, Allen kept making movies. He usually makes one a year. Some are likable, and some are forgettable. Some are comedies, and others, such as “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” are heavyweight dramas. (In “Crimes,” a man literally gets away with murder.) Every few years, he creates a gem. And there is always method to Woody’s madness. He’s always pursuing a new theme or some refinement of an old one.
Recently, I saw his latest film, “Midnight in Paris.” It’s one of those cinematic diamonds and one of his best in a long time. On Jan. 24, Allen received his seventh directing Academy Award nomination. He also was nominated for his original screenplay.
“Midnight” is a marvelous film: relaxed, funny and wise in a loose-limbed sort of way. Owen Wilson basically plays Woody. He’s an unhappy Hollywood screenwriter who regrets never having tried to go to Paris to write novels. Visiting the City of Light with his beautiful but shrewish fiancee, Wilson revels in the city’s charms. He also manages (in the kind of plot turn Woody is so good at) to meet some of the great artists who lived in the city in years past. It’s whimsy elevated into art.
A couple days later, I turned up the film “Scoop” and enjoyed it. It’s not on a par with “Midnight,” but it’s still quite enjoyable as Scarlett Johansson tries to solve a serial killing with the help of a recently deceased newspaper reporter played by Ian McShane.
My point here is that if you have never tried a Woody Allen film, give “Midnight” a whirl. You might be surprised. If you haven’t seen one in a while, this is the one to try.
Do you have a favorite Woody Allen film? Or do you hate his movies?
Follow Shawn Sensiba on Twitter at @shawnsensiba.
Feb 20, 2012 at 12:52 p.m.
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"Scoop" didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It was worth a laugh or two, but not a great film in my mind.
That said, Woody did have some great, classic lines in it.
"I don't need to work out. My anxiety acts as aerobics."
Feb 16, 2012 at 5:56 a.m.
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Scoop is good. But there should be a law against The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
In one of his older movies while in a hypochondriac state, he complains to a friend:
"I got a spot on my back."
His friend says:
"It's on your shirt."
Feb 15, 2012 at 5:40 p.m.
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Well, it's been about a million years since I've posted on here — didn't even know this particular blog existed!
But, I have to say, "Midnight in Paris" was such a treat. I'm a fan of his '60s/'70s comedies ("Take the Money and Run," "Love and Death," etc.) and the classics such as "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan." ... He did a few in the '80s I enjoyed well enough, but not much in the '90s. So, "Midnight" was a lot of fun. Yes, you have to suspend disbelief, but once you get beyond that, it's very rewarding.
And who'd have thought that Owen Wilson could serve as such a perfect mouthpiece for Woody Allen himself?
Feb 14, 2012 at 6:32 a.m.
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smsenseaba, OK, I'll stand corrected on the marriage and that he didn't officially adopt the child.
But is it not the case that after 30 years of psychoanalysis he began to cohabitate with and have a sexual relationship with a woman who was previously in a child/father relationship with him? And that she was the adopted daughter of a woman with whom he had a sexual relationship?
And that in several of his movies he played an older man having affairs with females much younger than he? Including one in which he had a relationship with a girl who was still in high school?
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:18 p.m.
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To gazettefan:
Just to clarify: Mr. Allen did not marry his adopted daughter. Soon Yi Previn was the adopted daughter of Allen's girlfriend at the time, Mia Farrow. This is, despite the distinction, still disturbing to a lot of people.
Feb 12, 2012 at 8:54 a.m.
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Allen's film characterizations of himself as a much older man involved with girls/women much younger than he, which now emphasize that he married his adopted daughter, are creepy too (the marriage occurred after 30 years of psychoanalysis). He even had Larry David fill in for him with the same idea in Whatever Works.
So he is kind of nuts. But, he has the nerve to make movies that don't make much money but are much more thoughtful than most movies today. Many big stars who got rich making blockbuster films will make a thoughtful movie and run back to the action movies after the thoughtful one didn't make much money.
I like his one-liners. It's been years since I've seen Annie Hall but two throw-away lines from that movie pop into my head occasionally:
He negatively comments on California by saying:
"What can you say about a state whose only cultural advantage is that you can make a right turn on a red light.
And, in the background at a party you can hear someone say into a phone:
"I forgot my mantra."
Much of what's funny about his movies are pretty much a version of his standup comedy from early in his career.
Jan 31, 2012 at 5:20 p.m.
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I'm with you, Shawn. Haven't seen a Woody Film in years, but I thought "Midnight" was pure joy. So many movies require investments of energy, emotions and intellect. This one was fun and easy. A nice change of pace. Plus, it's a wonderful trip for those of us who thought Paris in the '20s would have been a fabulous place to hang out.
Jan 31, 2012 at 1:58 p.m.
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Midnight In Paris was better than the cretinous "Whatever Works", but not by much. The man still can't keep his jaundiced biases [insulting the religious rubes who live anywhere beyond the boroughs of New York City] out of his supposed entertainment...and the whole "schmuck who meets famous people" schtick was done by Allen 30 years ago in Zelig.
Honestly, dude hasn't made a decent movie since Hannah & Her Sisters.
Jan 31, 2012 at 8:49 a.m.
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Since he married his adopted daughter, we don't watch any of his films. Creepy guy.
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