From October 2010 to October 2011 I revisited each film from writer, director, and actor Woody Allen in preparation for 2011 – the 40th anniversary of the release of what is considered by many to be Allen’s first film, Bananas. Of course he did release a few films prior, but it was Bananas that was the first to begin the yearly string of releases that came to be known as the quintessential Woody Allen film.
Allen has for years been one of my top five favorite directors, and looking back at his long career (one film per year for 40 years) it’s really quite astounding. Sure, it’s true that most of the time Allen doesn’t branch out nearly as much as other filmmakers. But there is a particular and familiar universe that he has created and lives in 99% of the time, and it’s a style all his own, a world where he invites you into every year – to meet new characters, and the stories they have to tell.
My reviewing skills are admittedly not very strong, and the famous quote from Truman Capote – “it isn’t writing at all – it’s typing” – is never more prevalent than with these short reviews, but none the less this was very fun for me to revisit all these movies again over the past months – and exciting to share at least a few of my basic thoughts to the world (ha!) on one of my top five favorite filmmakers. The timing couldn’t be more fitting as well not only because of the 40th anniversary of Bananas, but because that year saw the release, surprisingly enough, of Allen’s biggest financial success in the United States – Midnight in Paris. These are in order of release, beginning with 1971’s Bananas and ending with 2011’s Midnight in Paris.
Woody Allen
A Ghostlife Retrospective
Interiors
Oh yes, this one, Woody’s first foray into drama, and of the few dramatic films he made this is the most intense of them. But a quiet intensity, a slow moving film that teeters back and forth on the fence between nearly exploding into utter sadness and devastating events, or just complete boredom. The story involves three sisters who are coping with what they perceive as their sad lives, and the separation of their father and mother, the latter of which is having emotional problems so severe she at one time was admitted into a psych ward and given electroshock therapy. So yes, this is a doozy indeed. The performances are quite good, including Geraldine Page who deserves the Oscar nomination in her portrayal of the mother, Eve, and the art direction is also fantastic with it’s cold, chilly desolate sets, colors and scenery right from the opening shot. But as good as so many elements are, something just isn’t quite right. To me it doesn’t feel natural. The plot, the script, it all feels like it did not originate from a place of inspiration personally, but more of an artistic inspiration, to the point of being a mere imitation. When some compare this to much of Ingmar Bergman’s work, it makes you think if this was dubbed in Swedish you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It makes sense as well, since at one point Allen said of Bergman “(he’s) probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera”. Interiors is admirable in it’s execution, but it’s inspiration feels as cold as the world these characters are living in, and for that it’s hard for me to feel certain in any sort of opinion. It’s all just kind of “there”, going through it’s motions. Not a good film, not a bad film, just an admirable experiment. Save this one for last.
C+
1978