Good Small Films

Shall we Kiss?

2009-04-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

There is a new film drawing comparisons to Woody Allen, so we thought to draw attention to it. The name of the film is Shall We Kiss?

(HT: Tim S.)

On Woody Allen in NYC

2009-04-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Patricia Clarkson offers this perspective on the difference between shooting a Woody Allen film abroad vs. at home in NYC:

"It was so nice to be shooting with Woody Allen in New York. It was divine," said Clarkson, who introduced "Whatever Works" to the ShoWest crowd. "There were a couple of days I walked to work. It was beautiful.

"He was definitely on his own turf," Clarkson said. "When we were shooting in Barcelona, it was like shooting with Mick Jagger. I mean, the streets were lined wherever we went for Scarlett and for Woody. It was like they were rock stars. In New York, the crowds gather, but I think because it's Woody, they're actually respectful of him."

Whatever Works: Reaction and Teaser

2009-04-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Mali Elfman, third verse same as the first. She writes:

This is what Woody Allen is best at, writing and making movies about himself. Putting his words and thoughts into other peoples mouths. Every character in some way shape or form show us how Allen feels about the world. He may be a “genius” (which he references many times in the film) but he’s always best when he leaves it simple and funny.

I was laughing out loud at a number of the witty lines, which I can’t even re-write because they would never read as well as they sound. Although my favorite part was not the laughs but when the “ohhhhh’s” that people uttered at come of his more pointed jokes.

Overall, it was a fun ride! Can’t wait until I can review it!

And she leaves us with this grainy trailer:

Yes, Woody Watchers, I've noted the limp.

Whatever Works: Second Reaction

2009-04-03T13:58:00.001-07:00

From Alex Billington:

It is his standard New York talky, but actually one of his best films in recent years...
Out of some of Allen's most recent films, including Vicky Cristina Barcelona, this has been my favorite, for reasons I can't really describe. Maybe it was just a pure fascination with Larry David's character, who is one of those kind of guys that you feel bad for, even though he is kind of an asshole, or at least overly rude and racist, most of the time. I also just enjoyed how self-aware the film was, with David talking to the audience multiple times, and the way it's a retrospective piece on life in this world and dysfunctional relationships, not a deep analysis on how perfect love can be (or how completely un-perfect it can be, sometimes).

Even if you're not the biggest Woody Allen fan (or even if you are), Whatever Works is definitely worth seeing, whenever it comes to theaters. Writing a character for and casting Larry David was one of the best choices Allen has made in recent years. And with the right amount of positive buzz, this might end up becoming a bigger hit than his last few films. I will certainly say that it deserves to be one!

Whatever Works: First Reaction

2009-04-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

Friends, consider this a SPOILER ALERT.

Now that that's out of the way, point your browser here for a very positive first review of Whatever Works. A little tease:

Patricia Clarkson storms into the movie after approximately 40 minutes, and plays a role in many ways comparable to Penélope Cruz's tempestuous Oscar-winning Maria Elena. While I was initially skeptical of Allen's treatment of Wood as a young Lolita, Clarkson actually plays the much more sexualized character. After showing up on Boris's doorstep in a hot pink ensemble (scrunchy included!) fit for the Southern pageant circuit, she is quickly awakened to the culture of New York. Naturally, this involves sex and art. In an interesting inversion of the much discussed relationship between ScarJo, Javier Bardem, and Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Clarkson moves in with two men without giving it a second thought. Her character transitions from praising Jesus to opening an exhibit of nude collages. Clarkson is dynamic and sexy and once again demonstrates her unbeatable range. I don't think it is any stretch to consider her worthy of this year's Oscar race.

Lauren Wilcox Gets an 'A'

2009-03-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post is running a must read feature entitled Stardust Memories, complete with photos. The piece looks at whether or not Woody Allen's NYC still exists, or ever existed in the first place.

Nothing of the previous era seemed to remain at all. This revelation was critical, I felt, to more than just this quarter-acre. It is practically the municipal pastime, mourning the disappearance of the "real" New York, but the question seemed fair: Did the "real" New York City, as Woody Allen saw it -- a place that for him always "existed in black and white, and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin," that "metaphor for the decay of contemporary culture," which he "romanticized all out of proportion" -- still exist? Had it ever existed at all?

A Serious Comedy

2009-03-31T03:53:00.000-07:00

Well, not so much. But one rumor states:

A friend talked to someone attached to the upcoming, yet-to-be-shot Woody Allen film with Josh Brolin, Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Freida Pinto, Naomi Watts and Antonio Banderas. And the "someone" says "it's a serious comedy. Like Husbands and Wives (if only) and Manhattan."

Those Who Openly Campaign

2009-03-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Woody Allen fans often speculate whom they'd like to see casted into upcoming projects. When we first heard of his forthcoming Paris project (tentatively scheduled for production in 2010) thoughts of Juliette Binoche, Irene Jacobs, Audrey Tautou and Julie Delphy immediately came to mind. And, of course, the sentimentalist in our head ran toward Jean-Pierre Leaud, but we're not sure if he speaks English. Oh, and please let Slawomir Idziak direct photography. Please, please.

But then the devil on the other shoulder says "no, no, no." "Woody Allen needs a new ensemble. To hell with all this turnover." The devil quiets the fanboy. But those thoughts are just the impulses of a film lover. They pass quickly and give rise to saner moments.

Nevertheless, it would be fun to put together a list of actors whom have openly campaigned to be cast into an Allen film, but, for whatever reason, have yet to appear. A few months ago, for example, Kevin Spacey said in an interview that he was waiting by the phone in hopes of a call from Woody Allen. It was said in jest, but seemed sincere. Today's New York Post--gasp and snarl, we know--quotes a young French actress named Nora Arnezeder saying it's her dream to appear in a Woody Allen film.

Woody Allen is in the winter years of life, and maybe the increasing terrors of death will take his prodigious productivity to new levels. But that's unlikely. Production will probably diminish between now and dying. Time and all of its sickening crimes seems set against him, and just when everyone is beginning to love him like they used to. Life is cruel. Still we'd rather he burn out in an inferno of production--a late life victory lap of collaboration--than slowly fade from view. There are lots of indicators that he'll have his pick of the best of cast and crew from this point forward.

And now Nicole Kidman...

2009-03-26T10:20:00.001-07:00

If Whatever Works fares even reasonably well at the box office and with critics, Woody Allen's 2010 release--which now includes Nicole Kidman--will soar. That is, it ought to receive a crazy amount of promotion, becoming one of the more highly anticipated films of its year. For those who aren't keeping track, the cast features Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin, and Freida Pinto. It appears that Vicky Cristina Barcelona rescued Allen from ever again having to cast a Saved By the Bell castaway into a role. Color me happy.

Tails of Manhattan

2009-03-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from The New Yorker, March 30, 2009

Two weeks ago, Abe Moscowitz dropped dead of a heart attack and was reincarnated as a lobster. Trapped off the coast of Maine, he was shipped to Manhattan and dumped into a tank at a posh Upper East Side seafood restaurant. In the tank there were several other lobsters, one of whom recognized him. “Abe, is that you?” the creature asked, his antennae perking up.

Ed Howard on Hollywood Ending

2009-03-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

In our estimation, Woody Allen has made two poor films: Hollywood Ending and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. Ed Howard, whose film by film Allen reviews are the best of class, has recently posted a piece on Hollywood Ending. It's worth your time.

Conversations on Pinto's Salary

2009-03-16T20:37:00.001-07:00

Last week, we linked to a report that Freida Pinto was rumored to receive an astonishing 3 million for the upcoming Woody Allen project. It was a hard number to swallow. One smart whip picked up that post and started a great conversation on an IMDB board. A variant of that same conversation is on going at the always lively Criterion board. I encourage all the readers of this blog to click the aforementioned links. The conversations are informative, to say the least.

For those readers who don't know, and whom were uncertain why Good Small Films felt it necessary to post about Pinto's reported salary, one long standing precedent of appearing in an Allen film is the agreement of cast members to work for scale. 3 million is well beyond scale--more than 2.5 million steps beyond scale.

At this point, it's impossible to know if the rumors are true. There could be many other explanations, or the Indian press report could simply be a lie. We don't know. As we find out more, we'll be sure to update our posts.

How will Allen Spend the Extra Cash?

2009-03-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

We've previously posted that MediaPro is producing Woody Allen's next 3 films on a budget of around 23 million, easily Allen's highest-ever budgets. How will he spend the extra money?

There are also rumours that the lady from amchi Mumbai has become the highest paid Indian actress ever. Freida Pinto is set to receive around three million dollars for her role in Woody Allen’s upcoming London project. This means that she would be the highest paid Indian actress of all time, earning twice as much as top Bollywood actresses are paid! And all it took was one movie - this girl is going to go far.The still untitled Woody Allen project, starring Freida Pinto, Anthony Hopkins, Josh umours that Brolin, Naomi Watts and Antonio Banderas, is set to shoot this summer in London.

Pinto on Meeting Woody Allen

2009-03-12T09:45:00.001-07:00

The Times of India is running an article with Freida Pinto, which includes the following:

How has the interaction with Woody Allen been?

I would describe my meeting with Woody Allen as “different”. He’s a shy and reticent director but one with a beautiful vision. It will be a dream-come-true since I was a literature student and I studied Woody Allen’s plays back in college.

Which is your favourite Woody Allen film?

Matchpoint.

A lot is being said about how your casting in a Woody Allen film might pave the way for a change in the way Indian actors are offered roles of cabbies and doctors in Hollywood films. Do you agree?

I hope it does as it isn’t good to be typecast and globalization of films is an emerging trend. Also, crossover films are being made in a bigger way, thereby creating many more opportunities for our talent.

Cast Continues to Take Shape

2009-02-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen's summer project will now include Antonio Banderas alongside already listed (see the posts immediately beneath this one) Watts, Pinto, Brolin and Hopkins.

Pinto and Watts

2009-02-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

Variety reports that Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts will join the already established cast of Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins in Woody Allen's upcoming London project. If this one does not soar to the heights, it's on Woody.

Cruz Wins Oscar

2009-02-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Whatever Works: Not Like Mighty Aphrodite

2009-02-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen has supplied the Irish Times with an interview. If you've read any Allen interviews in the last decade, you've more or less read this one. Not Allen's fault. The questions are always retread, and Allen, if he's anything, is consistent. The answers are always the same. I suppose most audiences don't spend their leisure hours reading this blog, so what's old to us is new to them. My favorite snippet:

Evan Rachel Wood has said that Whatever Works is closer to Mighty Aphrodite than any other Allen picture.

“She said that? My God! I can’t see any similarity whatsoever between the two movies – not a remote similarity. It’s interesting how a person can see a movie so differently. I remember when my sister saw Hannah and Her Sisters and she thought it was closer to Sleeper than my other movies. I told her she must be crazy, that there was no comparison between the two. Yet she saw some similarity there, although nobody else in the world did. And I don’t think there’s another human on the face of the earth who will find the most remote similarity between Whatever Works and Mighty Aphrodite .”

Brolin, Hopkins, and London

2009-02-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

Whatever Works is set to open on June 19. We're all happy about that.

The other thing that will be happening this summer is Woody Allen will film his next in London. Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins are set to star. More details forthcoming.

Oscar Press Photo

2009-02-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

In advance of the Oscars, Vanity Fair is running a Penelope Cruz/Woody Allen photo that is easy on the eyes.

Cruz has been in the press lately, exchanging platitudes and pleasantries with the chattering class. We've not linked to many of her VCB-related interviews because they're mostly trivial. No offense to her, but you can only do so much with same inane questions. And although we're trying to keep up with the award march, we take the entire season with a grain of salt. It means something and it doesn't. Rightly understood, it's more of a marketing expo than an ascription of prestige.

Nevertheless, Cruz is very positive about her experience with Allen. We suspect that this is not their last project together.

Paris, 2009: Not so fast

2009-02-04T16:28:00.001-08:00

In a previous post, we had alerted readers to Woody Allen's Summer Project 2009. That project was supposed to be shot in Paris, and at a budget in the low to mid 20s. But for various reasons, the Paris project has been pushed back until Autumn 2010. It's a long time coming, and we hope Woody Allen can sustain his youthful vigor long enough to see the project through.

In the meantime, Woody Allen will shoot his next film this Spring/Summer in NYC. The budget for that film should also be in the 20s, which is small fortune relative to his career standards. This marks the second time in recent years that the director will have a long lay off between films. During his last layoff, he tried his hand at opera and a tour with his jazz band. Hopefully, he'll find a fun project to fill his time in between his NYC and Paris shoots, whether a stage production, film production, or a run of New Yorker shorts. Or, maybe another novel.

Small Time Crooks Re-visited

2009-02-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

We're not sure who Ed Howard is, but we like him.

John, you're right that for some reason people seem to attack Woody when he makes a "light" film these days, as though he didn't start his career as a director of utterly light comedies. This happened even as recently as Scoop, which I thought was really fun and funny, but everyone else seemed to bash for not being as serious as Match Point. Personally, I'd say Bananas has not held up so well, and some of Woody's more recent straight-up comedies -- like Manhattan Murder Mystery, with its brilliant tribute to The Lady From Shanghai -- are much better. Then again, he's also made quite a few more substantial films in his late career as well.

This comment followed a spot-on evaluation of Small Time Crooks, which you should abandon us to read now.

Whatever Works Images

2009-02-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tim S. for bringing our attention to these photos from the set of Whatever Works.

Axel Kuschevatzky Interviews Woody Allen

2009-01-30T06:13:00.001-08:00

We'll have more to say about these interviews in the coming days, but until then they're posted here for you to take it. Thanks to those who alerted us to the clips.

Woody Allen's 10 Finest?

2009-01-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

I demur. Stardust Memories must be included. And Zelig. And Radio Days. And why does everyone slag off on Anything Else? Husbands and Wives gets honorable mention. That's a great movie. Penelope Cruz says her favorite is Deconstructing Harry. It's a headache. You try for a list of 10. Nevertheless, Paste Magazine has put together a good list of Woody Allen's 10 Finest Films. Jeremy Medina also attaches a nice read to the endeavor. Make your way over.

Our most faithful reader sent this information along. Also included in the email was a note that Vicky Cristina Barcelona has surpassed Match Point as Allen's highest grossing film. It will likely become Woody Allen's first 100 million dollar earner. Studio heads take note, Allen can make a buck.

The Woody Allen of the Pampas

2009-01-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

Novelist Marcelo Birmajer is interviewed in the current Forward:

I.S.: In his writing, Singer was playful — a simpatico — but in his life he was a rascal. Just as I came across unpublished novels (some of which are illegible) and earlier editions of well-known stories, I also discovered that, on a daily basis, he was abrasive and violent, not to mention a liar. In other words, I learned to appreciate the extent to which a famous writer is also infamous at the mundane level. In your view, what difference is there between reading Singer or, perhaps, Philip Roth in English and in Spanish? Or, for that matter, watching a Woody Allen movie in the Hispanic world?

M.B.: Woody Allen is a Jewish director of universal themes, whereas Singer and Roth are Jewish writers of Jewish themes.

I.S.: What do you mean?

M.B.: Woody Allen has never done a film about the Shoah or about Israel. Instead, these themes are central to Singer and Roth. In Woody Allen’s movies, the characters happen to be Jewish. In Singer and Roth, there would be no plot if the characters weren’t Jewish.

I.S.: You’re quite attracted to the three of them, aren’t you?

M.B.: Woody Allen becomes a focus of attention of any narcissist like me. Singer and Roth are a diversion I enjoy because of their conflictive nature. They entertain me and attract me because they are neither boring nor sophisticated. They don’t make it easy for me to identify with them. What I like most about their oeuvre is the role doubt plays in it. For non-Jews, including those in the Hispanic world, Woody Allen, whom I admire, is a good Jew, a friendly Jew, while Singer and Roth are Jewish and that’s it! Not coincidentally, Woody Allen’s public statements against Israel during the first intifada had a repercussion as wide as that of his films. In contrast, Singer and Roth’s pro-Israel statements, literary and as a matter of opinion, are far less known than their books are. But let me turn the conversation around again: How to explain the fact that two Latin American-Jewish intellectuals are as fascinated with Singer, a Pole who lived in the U.S., as you and I are? Why are we interested in a guy who didn’t speak our language?

The final two sentences read like fodder for an Isagani Cruz post. Isagani?

Rebecca Hall: Nice

2009-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

We're sorry for the over load of VCB stuff, but it is that season. This is somewhat trivial, but there is a decent portrait of Rebecca Hall in the Johannesburg Times. We'd let it slide into binary heaven, if not for this kind line: “I think working with Woody Allen was the pinnacle. It’s all downhill from here. "

VCB: Oustanding Film for Wide Release

2009-01-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is nominated for yet another award, by the folks at GLAAD this time around.

Housekeeping

2009-01-24T14:39:00.001-08:00

Our readers may have noticed that some of the video links we had listed off to the right have gone dead. We'll repost them if and when they reemerge from the cyber ether. You're welcome to contact us if you find them out there on the internets. We miss them too.

The Past is a Strange Place

2009-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Studio 54, 1978.

Cold Souls, Odd New Film

2009-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

"Woody Allen's turn came, and he opened his box and his soul is a little chickpea. So he's super upset, and he said there's no way he made 43 movies and his soul is a chickpea." -- Cold Souls writer/director Sophie Barthes, explaining that the genesis of her film came from a dream, as quoted by Peter Knegt at indieWIRE.

Penelope Cruz Receives Oscar Nom

2009-01-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

We we're a little surprised that Vicky Cristina Barcelona did not receive more consideration, but we're happy to report that Penelope Cruz did come away with a Best Supporting Actress Nomination.

Isagani R. Cruz Drops In

2009-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Well, sort of.

We were delighted to receive an email from the playwright/critic alerting us to a short blog post regarding Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Happy reading.

A Dapper Dude in Smart Spectacles

2009-01-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

File this under novelty. Woody Allen gifted Penelope Cruz with a pair of his trademark glasses. All things considered, there are worse gifts a person could receive.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona Wins Golden Globe...

2009-01-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

...for Best Comedy or Musical. Woody Allen, surprisingly, was not on hand.

Sony Picture Classics Picks Up Whatever Works

2009-01-22T12:29:00.001-08:00

Buried in this article, you'll find a throwaway line that we're only too happy to retrieve and dust off for you. Or, you can just read the subject line and carry on with life.

Woody Allen in the Times Online

2009-01-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

“The love I feel for people is more important than the art I create. If you have an unhappy love life, it is much more painful than putting out a movie nobody likes. I am very happy right now.”

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen has long labored to preserve many of New York City's treasured architectural land marks, whether through philanthropy or simply celebrating them in the backdrops of his films. We're sad to learn that the movie house, The Metro, prominently featured in Hannah and Her Sisters is no more.

HT: Tim S.

The Tabloids Have Us Beat

2009-01-22T12:11:00.001-08:00

An apology to our readers for the slow rate of posts these last few weeks. As someone once said, life intrudes. At any rate, we're back in the saddle and hope to resume posting with greater frequency from here out. Thanks for your patience.

Alisa Lepselter Interview

2009-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen fans might be interested to read this short--too short, really--piece from Variety's Peter Caranicas. If you're not up to speed, Lepselter is Allen's film editor, replacing Susan Morse in 1999. Caranicas records these words:

"When I came in out of the blue, I think there was some resistance at first," Lepselter adds. "(But) I have learned what he likes, and how we work together has evolved over the years as he got to know me and trust me. He's now more open."

Allen Receives 19th WGA Nomination

2009-01-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's all in the post title. Vicky Cristina Barcelona continues to receive critical acclaim. We're not sure if Allen has the most career WGA nominations, but we're thinking he must be close. Any ideas as to who might have more noms than Allen? If so, let us know in the comments.

Lark Previn Dies

2009-01-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

We want to extend our condolences to Soon-Yi Previn in the loss of her sister, Lark. Lark died on Christmas Day. She was 35.

Woody Allen Awarded Golden Ear

2009-01-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen is currently touring Europe with his jazz band, having recently played for the Polish upper crust. While making the rounds, he stopped off in Valladolid to accept a Golden Ear of Corn.

Woody Allen at Prague Castle

2008-12-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen and his band were guests for a performance and reception at Prague Castle, according to the Prague Daily Monitor:

Czech President Václav Klaus received world-renowned US film maker Woody Allen, on a visit to the Czech Republic, at Prague Castle today ahead of a concert Allen, a keen clarinet player, and his New Orleans Jazz Band will give in Prague later Saturday.

Allen turned up at Prague Castle along with his wife, sister and two kids.

Klaus entered the room at the moment when Allen and his family were surrounded by photographers. To make them notice his presence, Klaus pulled Allen's sleeve.

You can find more information and a short interview here. If any of our readers have a translation of Allen's recent interview with Reflex Magazine, we'd be glad to post that as well.

Location: Paris, 2009

2008-12-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's being reported that Woody Allen will shoot his next film in Paris, hopefully next summer. One press release reports the story this way:

I have always wanted to shoot a film in Paris. I have a scenario for Paris all written. I was going to shoot it a few years ago but when we came here and I started to put the film together, suddenly it became such an expensive film that I could not do it," he said.

Allen's last batch of films, including "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and London-based drama "Match Point", were filmed in Europe.

He said financial problems should not derail the Paris project completely but added that he is prepared to film the comedy during the summer of 2011 in the event of more delays.

This leaves us with a few questions.

If not this summer then 2011. Does Allen have a commitment for 2010 of which we do not know? Strange that he would clear that with us first. Super sleuths, unite.

The writing on this project is finished, so we're assuming it is a rehash of the previously aborted Michelle Williams project. You can read about that in Eric Lax's Conversations or the comments to this post.

This appears to be the first film of three being bankrolled by MediaPro.

Woody Allen is touring with his band, but he's had a lot of time between the filming of Whatever Works and now to write. This is especially true if the Paris Project is an already-written screenplay. He's sneaky productive, so maybe he's done something we can enjoy later.

Evan Rachel Wood Talks Whatever Works

2008-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Evan Rachel Wood, interviewd by Moviehole:

Question: How did Woody get along with Larry David?
Wood: They got along great. I loved watching them talk to each other, because they are similar, but they are very different. And I think that's why Woody cast him, because - if you read the script, the character seems like it is Woody Allen. You don't see how anybody else could play it. I think he really brought something different, so that it's not just the Woody Allen character.
Question: How did you enjoy working with Larry?
Wood: I loved Larry. Larry's great. And we kind of looked out for each other, because he had never done a film, or had to memorize lines. And I'd never done comedy. So, you know. We kept each other's spirits up in that way.
Question: Would you do another comedy, after doing this?
Wood: Absolutely, yeah. I love comedy. And it was such a great change of scenery for me to go on set and see Larry David, and Michael McKean and Ed Begley Junior. people I grew up watching, but have never seen behind the scenes. So, it was so cool. [LAUGHTER] I was so excited.
Question: What kind of a girl do you play in that?
Wood: She's a very sweet, Southern belle and so naïve that she comes across dumb, because she just wants to see the good in everything. She just loves everything. So she shacks up with Larry David, who's the complete opposite. He's like, an Ebenezer Scrooge kind of character. Just, "Bah humbug" to everything. So, it's just opposites attracting.

Banking on Barcelona

2008-12-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

A friend writes to say, "Just thought I'd let you know Vicky Cristina Barcelona is only $630,000 behind surpassing Match Point in domestic (North American) grosses and it's up to nearly $70 million worldwide now, with it opening in the UK this week, where it should do very well." we hadn't been tracking the grosses, so it was welcome news. Just after receiving this email, we discovered that Reuters was reporting that Vicky Cristina Barcelona had brought in a "bounty".

(HT: Tim, as always)

ABC News Australia: Woody Allen at 73

2008-12-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

We're not able to embed the video, so you'll have to follow the link found in the post title. The interview itself is vintage Woody Allen, but not special. If you've seen an Allen interview in recent years, this one is a good representative of his most common responses to a series of tired questions.

"I'm not putting down my films...I do have some good films...but..."

"Just work..."

"I am an atheist..."

"...the same lonely, terrified life..."

"Judy Davis is just one of those actresses that has got it..."

"When I was younger and I could get the girl..."

"...there are no perks of age...there is no upside to getting older at all, it's all negative..."

"...I would trade all the wisdom I've gained for, say, 30...35 years wiped off the calendar..."

Golden Globes, LA and NY critics

2008-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Vicky Cristina Barcelona continues to rake in recognition.

Penelope Cruz won both an LA and NY film critics award for her work in VCB.

Elsewhere, the VCB cast and crew will have to wait on the Golden Globe folks to make up their minds: Vicky Cristina is nominated for best comedy, Cruz for supporting actress, Bardem for supporting actor, and Hall for actress in a lead role.

ISA Nominations and Tidbits

2008-12-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

After a couple slow weeks, the Woody Allen-related universe is back to the business of expansion. Vicky Cristina Barcelona has been given an actress (Cruz) and screenplay (Allen) nomination by the ISAs.

Woody Allen's character Maria Elena continues to bring laud and honor in Cruz's direction. Dennis Hopper recently remarked,

"To me, she’s the best actress around right now.”

“She gives good performances this year - one in Woody Allen’s film Vicky Cristina Barcelona and one in Isabel Coixet’s Elegy - and they’re two of the best performances I’ve seen in years.”

We're willing to bet that this is not the last Allen-Cruz collaboration.

Elsewhere, VCB cast member Patricia Clarkson raves about working with Woody Allen on consecutive films:

"I love working with Woody [Allen], and I did another film, Whatever Works, with Woody after Vicky Cristina, so I got to work with Woody twice in the span of 10 months. I'm like the luckiest person alive," she gushed.
"Whatever Works is a completely different film but it's still classic Woody Allen. I can't even talk about it too much so I can't tell you about it, but it's very funny. I think it's going to be hysterical. I mean, it's Woody Allen and Larry David. Whereas Vicky Cristina's more soulful, beautiful, lyrical and sexual."

Finally, something more for our Talent Imitates files, comes another great review of Alex Holdridge's In Search of a Midnight Kiss, which continues to draw positive comparisons to Woody Allen's Manhattan.

It's a Los Angeles love story, photographed in black and white, considered by many to be this generation's response to Woody Allen's "Manhattan."
While Allen's characters are seen and heard against a background of a sleek Big Apple and the music of Gershwin, Holdridge's are photographed against an often faded looking downtown L.A., with much of the music provided by a United Kingdom group called Okkervil River.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona Wins Gotham...

2008-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

...for best ensemble performance. Congratulations to the cast for their good work.

Happy Birthday, Woody Allen

2008-12-01T11:51:00.001-08:00

Today is Allen's birthday, and it's difficult to know what to offer up from the vantage point of this blog. So, we'll have to content ourselves with this: we wish Woody Allen decades more productivity, the good luck of an accidental masterpiece, and the comfort of dying in one's sleep.

The Leading Ladies

2008-11-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Globe's cyber-arm Boston.com is running a slide show of Allen's leading women. They write, "Like the best of Allen's films, many of the women who have had roles in them are timeless. But no one is ageless, except maybe Allen, who continues to attract top female talent, scripts unseen."

More on Whatever Works

2008-11-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

First Look is running a short piece on Whatever Works, which contains a few new images from the film. If you want more information on the film, see this post.

Woody Allen to Perform, Tour Poland

2008-11-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Place this in the curiosity bin.

It's being reported that Woody Allen will tour Poland in conjunction with a performance of his band.

While Allen is often regarded as quintessentially "Jewish," whatever that means, it's actually odd to think of him in those terms. Not that he's the Harry Block character from Deconstructing Harry, a Jewish man whose sister demurs his "antisemitism." It's just that Allen's art transcends ethnic constraints.

Maybe it's a subjective blindness, but I identify Allen more in terms of creative ancestry than ethnic ancestry---more in terms of Marx, Bergman, and Fellini. Put differently, while I recognize that Allen's aesthetic sense owes something significant to his biography, I've never seen his work as steeped in a kind of caricatured "Jewishness."

Whatever the case, it will be interesting to hear Allen's reflections on his tour. He is a man whose perspective on life could be described as immutable; one of Allen's charms is observing how his near-static aesthetic and existential identity plays against the loud, dynamic backdrop of modern life. In a recent review of Mere Anarchy, Jordan Hoffman describes it this way:

If you love the ramblings of a thousand year old Jewish man as much as I do, you’ll love this book. It’s as good as Allen’s other three short (and I mean short!) story collections. But, maybe, in a way funnier, in that it is the year 2008 and he’s talking about answering services and EST.

The more out of touch Woody is, the more endearing, I say. He mocks California as a state overrun by new age shysters with names like Galaxie Sunstroke. His tales of film producers aren’t of slick young people in fashionable clubs, but Yiddish-speaking momsers kvetching over derma.

We shouldn’t wonder what happened to Woody to make him seem irrelevant. Instead we should ask where did we, as a culture, go wrong that we’re not on his wavelength anymore.

People, whether famous or unknown, often return from such "tours" in a stirred state of disbelief. They look back on the carnage of history with more questions than answers. Such stirrings would be unexpected from a man who once penned, "Given what human beings are, the question is why doesn't it [atrocity] happen more often." We know that Allen will not give himself to the temptation of celebrity, of sensationalizing his impressions to assuage a deeply held sense of self-importance. But we also know he would not paper-over one of Western civilization's great horrors.

All things considered, his Polish tour has the makings of a good interview.

Candace Bushnell on Annie Hall

2008-11-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Taken from Variety:

"'Bringing Up Baby' and 'The Philadelphia Story' are the gold standards," she begins. Then there's Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," which Bushnell puts in its own separate pantheon:

"This is a movie where the lover is not a person, but a place, New York City, in which the relationship is not with another, but with the self. Annie Hall does beautifully what so many romantic comedies can't: It captures love as it really is, as opposed to how we wish it would be. And makes it OK."

Eddy Davis Footage and Life Photos

2008-11-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

Eddy Davis kindly brought our attention to these videos, which he said would be alright to share. Thank you, Mr. Davis.

You're My Everything

There, I've Said It Again

Tears

Lullaby in Ragtime

In other news, Google is hosting a series of Life Photographs related to Woody Allen. Follow the link for purchase information. My favorite of the collection can be found here. HT: Tim. Thanks, as always.

Woody Allen Receives His Own Leica

2008-11-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

This may seem like a trivial thing, but it's actually something of an honor. Woody Allen has received a Leica M8.2 with his own serial number.

Since 1925, Leica has awarded a select list of visionaries in photography, the sciences, the world of politics, and the arts with special serial numbered cameras. The list of people who have received such Leica cameras is small. Queen Elizabeth (who actually asked that the cameras she received not be numbered, and so her initials were engraved instead); photographers Alfred Eisenstat and Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leopold D. Mannes and Leo Godowsky, Jr, the co-inventors of Kodachrome film, and former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, are a few of those who have received Leicas with special serial numbers.

Allen is pictured to the left at the Gala held to mark the occasion.

Woody Appreciates

2008-11-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

Many are aware of Woody Allen's love of Bechet and Bergman, but sometimes he voices appreciation for others and not a single solitary soul notices. We wanted to call your attention to a few documentaries you may have missed that fall into the category of "under the radar." Each of the following features some commentary from Allen.

Brother Theodore, a documentary about comedian Theodore Gottleib.

Sid Caesar: Inside the Writer's Room looks back on the man and his variety program.

The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell features some reflection from Allen on comedy's first family.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures is a recent look at the famous director.

Sidney Bechet: Treat it Gentle is an homage to the jazz great.

The Outsider is a film in tribute of director James Toback.

Most recently is Glass: A Portraint of Philip in Twelve Parts. Around the same time as this documentary was being made, Glass wrote the score for Allen's Cassandra's Dream.

Slow News Week

2008-11-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like us, you've found that critical essays and biographies of Woody Allen careen between tedious and helpful. But if you're willing to take a plunge in those waters, Google Books is your friend. Be warned, however, that some of these titles are only partial previews limited to select chapters or essays from its respective volume.

Love, Sex, Death, and the Meaning of Life: The Films of Woody Allen by Foster Hirsch.

Woody Allen on Woody Allen by Stig Bjorkman.

Woody Allen, a biography by Eric Lax.

The essay A Little Faith in People from Brooklyn is Not Expanding: The Comic Universe of Woody Allen by Annette Wermblad.

The Reluctant Film Art of Woody Allen by Peter J. Bailey.

Art, Love, and Life in the Films of Woody Allen by Mary P. Nichols.

Eighteen Woody Allen Films Analyzed by Sander H. Hall.

Woody Allen: A Casebook by Kimball King.

Woody Allen's Angst by Sander H. Lee.

Once again, please be forewarned that pretense levels are often toxic with film critics, and all the more incoherent when missing pages here and there. William S. Burroughs would have loved it.

Feeling Underexposed?

2008-11-07T11:43:00.001-08:00

We invite you to spend the weekend with Gordon Willis. Well, sort of.

The two of you can start here before spending a little time in pleasant conversation with the folks from Scene Unseen. Afterward, some reflection from Doug Hart, Gordon Willis' former right hand man.

Finally, unwind with this marvelous little documentary entitled Vision of Light: The Art of Cinematography.

Part Two.
Part Three.
Part Four.
Part Five.
Part Six.
Part Seven.
Part Eight.
Part Nine.

A few night caps:

And finally...

We can't help but think that Stardust Memories is the most under appreciated film of the last 30 years---they probably love it in France. We'd love to ask Gordon Willis what he considers his best work. You know how we'd vote.

If you know of other worthwhile Gordon Willis stuff, please leave a comment. We're sure there is more out there.

(HT: Tim, for the Doug Hart material. Invaluable.)

Let's Talk About the Rain

2008-11-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Writing for The Independent, Anthony Quinn brings our attention to the new French film Let's Talk About the Rain. He writes,

Elements of Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanours peek through the story, though Jaoui's assured style and droll humour are very much her own. Her view of human fallibility has a sharp edge, but also a worldly sense of forgiveness.

Here is the trailer, albeit in French.

Does anyone know more about Agnes Jaoui or Jean-Pierre Bacri? We'd like to know more.

New Short Story

2008-11-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Think Hard, It'll Come Back to You, The New Yorker, November 10, 2008.

Truffaut's Jules and Jim

2008-11-04T07:23:00.000-08:00

A little while back we used this space to suggest a connection between Jules and Jim and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. At a time when Allen is being accused of plagiarism by a Spanish novelist, it seems providential that Bright Lights Film would run an essay praising Vicky Cristina Barcelona for, among other things, its beautiful reflection of Truffaut.

Woody Allen is a shameless thief, after all.

Thanks for your work, Tony Macklin.

VCB Accusation

2008-10-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Spanish novelist Alexis de Villar is accusing Woody Allen of plagiarizing his 1987 novel Goodbye Barcelona as source material for Vicky Cristina.

For the time being we'll wait for more than an accusation before taking the charge more seriously. We're also interested to hear Allen's response, if any.

It doesn't appear that Goodbye Barcelona has ever received an English translation. Allen doesn't know Spanish--it's part of his long-standing and principled conviction to never share a native language with his DP. The more on-set translators, the better. He believes that working through intermediaries gives his films an added texture and restricts his knowledge of language to English and a single nearly extinct Inuit dialect, of which he is fluent, much to the chagrin of the Alaskan Cameraman's Union. Forced to the fringes by a Brooklynite, they like to say.

Joking aside, we would be surprised if much came from Alexis de Villar's claims. If you see any further developments, please post them in the comments.

Settled mind. Settled man.

2008-10-31T00:13:00.001-07:00

A friend has brought our attention to a wonderful little essay by Caryn James written during the production of Radio Days.

It's a thought-provoking piece on its own merits, but it's also a fascinating read by way of contrast and comparison to more recent interviews and articles. We're fascinated by the subtle ways in which Allen has modified himself over the years, but we're blown away by how few modifications have emerged 20 years on.

Whatever Works: What We Know So Far

2008-10-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

As with all Allen projects, Whatever Words is veiled in a fair amount of secrecy. The IMDB page is helpful in the ways you would expect: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, etc... We're especially eager to see how Henry Savilles has fared.

The movie has been in the can for a few months. The plot details are sparse, but it's reportedly a romantic comedy, with sex, about older people. Oh yeah, it's "different" and "darkish" too. In other words, we know nothing.

In the recent Eric Lax book Conversations with Woody Allen, the director mentions having written a comedy about a suicide attempt gone bad, but shelving the project after his sister warned that critics would portray it as autobiographical.

I might call this new movie Scoop. It's the third film I wrote in the last twelve weeks. I wrote a film to be done in London and then after I wrote it I found that the phenomenon I was satirizing didn't really exist in London, so I had to scrap that film. Then I wrote another idea quickly, a dark comedy about a guy who jumped out of a window and tried to commit suicide and walked with a limp. But when I gave it to Juliet Taylor and my sister to read they both felt that while it was very funny it would be perceived as very personal, autobiographical in a way they would rather I didn't do. They thought the film would never get a fair shake, that no matter how good in came out, all the focus would be on this sense of autobiography that in fact did not exist but still would distract from the audiences enjoyment of the movie. (26)

Some IMDB commentators have wondered if Whatever Works is not this scrapped comedy dusted off and set on the coffee table for visitors to see.

Beyond that, those same commentators believe Wood's character is married to Larry David's to the great displeasure of her mother. In turn, mom sets her little girl up with someone closer to her age.

Re-reading that passage from Conversations with Woody Allen begs the question, how many screenplays does Allen have laying around? We know from elsewhere that he is sitting atop an unpublished novel. We suppose and hope that these works will see posthumous production/publication.

Allen is nearing the point of requiring a back-up director for insurance purposes. He's in fine health, from all accounts and appearances. But age is age. Perhaps, Allen could gift each of his back-up directors, or directors heavily under his influence, with screenplays to be produced after his death. He's a prodigious writer who loves the work, and we know he has an impossible surplus of ideas from which to choose. Such a move would be a lovely baton-passing gesture to his cinematic descendants, not to mention a delight to his tiny band of faithful fans worldwide.

This is especially the case if said works are already in existence. We couldn't imagine a good reason for them to come to nothing.

And, while we're adrift in daydream, it's our hope that he tries to exhaust his famous idea drawer, converting each jotted thought into a short story, play, screenplay, novella or novel, whatever fits the material. It would be fitting that someone as industrious as Allen leave his public with a treasure trove of postmortem production.

We digress.

Whatever Works.

We'd like to know more. What do you know?

Update: On a related note, some fans of both Woody Allen and Larry David have hoped that Whatever Works would receive treatment in a new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. This morning brings the news that such hopes are a step closer to becoming reality. Curb will begin filming its 7th Season in December, with plot rumors involving Whatever Works and its director. If the timing is right, David's show and Allen's movie can leverage one another for promotion.

A Line at the Door?

2008-10-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is somewhat frivolous, but it comes up enough in print to warrant a short comment. For years, Woody Allen has insisted that the notion of Hollywood A-listers falling over themselves for the chance to work with him was the stuff of high comedy. For an example of Allen's response to this misunderstanding, try the video below at the 5:55 mark.

For a large portion of his career, Allen worked with a repertory. During this period, casting was the matter of a simple phone call. During the 90s, this pattern fall apart. Since then, we've no reason to doubt Allen's sincerity. Actors were not clamoring to work with him. There wasn't a line at the door. At points, his films suffered from the constant turnover and inability to get the best people for his characters.

But we're starting to wonder if the tide has not shifted. Allen is nearly 73. Opportunities to work with him are diminishing. Two recent films--Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona--have turned a profit; we're assuming VCB will meet or excel Match Point in terms of award recognition. Allen has momentum.

In a sense, Allen's career has already had its three acts. The first act was comprised of stand up routines, first plays and stories, and "the early, funny" films of the 70s. The second act began in earnest with Annie Hall and continued through Husbands and Wives. This stretch of films marks a period of accomplishment very few, if any, writer-directors have ever enjoyed. The third act corresponds to the loss of a steady troupe and his falling out of favor with the press. From 1993 to 2008 Allen has continued to turn out mostly good work. Even in this much-ballyhooed "period of decline" Allen has created better films than nearly all of his peers. Bullets Over Broadway, as one example, is a masterpiece film that most filmmakers would die to have made. Everything in perspective.

Nevertheless, Allen's first act was endearing, the second heroic, and the third had tragic undertones. But now the third act has come to a close, the curtain is drawn. Vicky Cristina Barcelona marks its end. We believe this for a number of reason.

Allen is now in the place of being fashionable again. He doesn't care either way, no doubt. But funding is affected by whether or not you're a critical darling. Producers and actors are more likely to work with you if the reviews are positive. But beyond this, Allen is moving back in the direction of a repertory. Scarlett Johansson and Patricia Clarkson constitute the seed-bed of this resurgence. We're hoping that his increased budgets allow him the flexibility to maintain a cinematographer, whether Javier Aguirresarobe, Harris Savides, or otherwise.

This is another way saying that in our estimation, Whatever Works signals the beginning of the encore stage of Allen's remarkable career. From this point forward, it's all gravy. That mythical line at the door might incarnate. Such an incarnation blossomed into Vicky Cristina Barcelona:

Woody Allen: "I had the idea about two women going away on a summer thing some place. Someone called from Barcelona and said, 'Would you like to make a picture here? We’ll finance it.' That’s always the hardest part of making any picture, is getting the financing. Writing it, directing it, or anything else is easier than getting the financing for it, so I said, 'Sure, I would do it.'"

"I had no idea for anything for it and then about a week or two later I got a call from Penelope Cruz. I didn’t know her; she wanted to meet and she was in New York. I had only seen her in Volver and nothing else ever. I thought she was great in it, and she said that she knew I was doing a film in Barcelona and she would like to participate. I started out with Barcelona, with Penelope, and in the back of mind I was going to go to Scarlett. Then I heard Javier [Bardem] was interested, so gradually it took shape. I was writing for these people. I was deliberately writing for these people. I didn’t know Rebecca Hall at all. Juliet Taylor, my casting director, discovered her. She said that she was great, I should read her, and look at some film on her. I did and she was right. I put the thing together for the people almost, as I did it, and did the best I could."

Adding to this, we find Kevin Spacey in print last weekend with a could-be familiar refrain:

"Well, look. If I'm not producing, then I'm an actor for hire. It ends there. That doesn't mean you're not working with a director and other actors and a writer to make the best movie you can, but it's a temporal experience, you'll be together for a couple of weeks or months and then you're done."
So is there really nothing left in the cinema that excites him? He pauses. "Well, I keep waiting for Woody Allen or Martin Scorsese to call me ..."

Untitled Summer Projects 2009, 10 and 11

2008-10-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The intelligent people over at Criterion Forum's Woody Allen board have helped us piece together his upcoming projects, for the years 2009, 10, and 11 respectively. All three projects will be based in Europe, the first will likely be filmed in Paris. The other two locations are uncertain, but Spain is likely. Based on the Criterion discussion, previously published reports and press releases, we know that Mediapro and Gravier Productions will produce the films at a budget of 22 million, a sharp increase over recent Allen films. It appears that crew members will enjoy the luxury of free coffee after lunch.

Whatever Works is not one of these productions. So, health providing, the film-loving public can anticipate at least four more Allen films. Whether or not Whatever Works marks his final NYC film is unknown. As Allen once quipped, if he can't match Bergman's quality, he might be lucky enough to match his quantity. We should be so fortunate.

(HT: Tim. Thanks for your help.)

Friday Session

2008-10-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Defence Debates offers up one take on Allen.

Gonzo About Style says magic is all the rage.

Rev. Robert Barron says that Woody Allen represents the brilliant underdeveloped.

Tony Norman couches an election question within Annie Hall.

The English Blog reflects, Val Waxman-style.

Ropes of Silicon waxes eloquent on Hannah and that whole love is unpredictable thing.

Buzzgrinder encourages dabblers.

And finally, Penelope Cruz says that Woody Allen is not the sort who gets distracted.

Allen on Ensembles

2008-10-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, The Wall Street Journal published a worthwhile piece by Joe Morgenstern entitled The Joy of the Ensemble. Morgenstern writes:

As for small ensembles, they became the province of Woody Allen and Robert Altman, two filmmakers with a devotion to unusual material (as well as a gift for finding financing, however modest or precarious) and a love of what actors do with it...

Will Ferrell has never been funnier, or more adroit, than he was as a haplessly lovesick Woody surrogate in Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda."

Yesterday, we brought your attention to the Gotham nomination of Vicky Cristina Barcelona for Best Ensemble Performance. Earlier in his career, Allen's work not only featured ensembles, but he often employed a veritable repertory. This has not been a prominent feature in recent years, with only editor Alisa Lepsetter as a constant fixture and actress Scarlett Johansson as a regular. In fact, this is one of the distinguishing marks of his later works: higher turnover from film to film. Gone are the days of Carlo Di Palma taking the morning to light every shot.

In a terrific Rolling Stone interview from 1987, Allen reflects on the benefits of working with a consistent team:

RS: You use what almost amounts to a repertory company, with many of the same actors--many of them close friends of yours, such as Mia, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest and Tony Roberts--in each film.

WA: It's much easier to work with my own friends and acquaintances, because if I'm shooting with Michael Caine [who was in Hannah and Her Sisters], when I finish, he goes to India or England to shoot another picture. But Mia or Dianne Wiest or Tony Roberts, I can call them up in a moment's notice and say, "Listen, I've got a great idea for a new scene, let's meet and shoot it."

RS: Does that really happen?

WA: All the time, on every picture, constantly on Hannah. In the original version of Hannah, there was only one Thanksgiving party, at the beginning of the picture. And when I saw the picture and started to get ideas about it could be developed and amplified in a good way, I thought, you know, "Let's make it end with Thanksgiving, too. That would be a nice thing." I did that. And I said, "You know what would be really great too? If we had one more Thanksgiving party in the middle of the picture."

RS: So you just all gathered back at Mia's apartment?

WA: Right. Shooting at her apartment made things easier, too.

Some think that Allen's fall-out with Farrow marked his change from repertory troupe to ragamuffin band, but this is not the case. It was simply a matter of financing. Bernard Weinraub shed light on the change back in 1998:

For 25 years, Woody Allen has offered a remarkable outpouring of films using a tightly knit production staff, veterans who considered themselves loyal members of the Allen professional family.
From the outset, Mr. Allen yearned to foster the kind of creative ambiance on his movie sets that Ingmar Bergman, one of his idols, had. Like him, Mr. Allen used the same crews and many of the same actors in his films.
Not anymore.
Quietly, within the atmosphere of secrecy and control that marks Mr. Allen's creative decision making, the team that helped fashion movies like ''Annie Hall,'' ''Manhattan'' and ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' has largely broken up amid an intense effort to cut costs and overhaul the management of his operation.
Mr. Allen said the changes were entirely the result of cost-cutting measures taken because his highly praised films have not earned money in the United States. Most members of his production staff had been asked to take pay cuts to allow Mr. Allen to create his independently financed movies without the constraints of studio interference. As a result, he said, top staff members were leaving.
''I took a substantial reduction in what I was getting,'' Mr. Allen said on Friday. ''A number of people who worked for years at certain prices couldn't afford to stay on. These are good friends. They just couldn't afford to work for this kind of money.''
Current and former employees of Mr. Allen said the the departures included those of his longtime producer, associate producer, film editor, cinematographer, set photographer and costume designer, in a series of shifts that have become the talk of the New York film community...

The rest of the article is well-worth your time, but for our purposes that much of Weinraub's article explains the disappearance of Allen's repertory. You are encouraged to follow the link for the full read, however.

Fans of a given director often have a wish list of actors they'd like to see appear in their idol's forthcoming films. This is harmless. But getting an A-list name may not improve the film's overall quality as much as an actor or cinematographer with whom the director is familiar. Or in other words, if rumors of a 3-picture deal in Spain become fact, it may be good for Allen to recontract Javier Aguirresarobe, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, if possible.

One can only hope future producers supply Allen with the financing to develop the sort of intimate relationship he once shared with his cast and crew.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona Nominated

2008-10-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

VCB has received two Gotham Independent Film Award nominations. Rebecca Hall has been nominated as Best Breakthrough Actor and the cast has been tapped for Best Ensemble Performance. In addition to the ensemble nomination with Johansson, Bardem, and Hall, Penelope Cruz will receive an honorary tribute award for her work in film.

The award ceremony will be held in December.

More on Kites

2008-10-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Anurag Basu talks about Kites in promotion of the movie some have claimed is based on Match Point. Well, don't hate us for being dubious from the little we know about the film. We learned last week that it's a bit of a jet setter, with filming having wrapped in several countries. In the new Basu interview we learn that the film relies on action rather than dialogue. "Based on Match Point" might simply be a promote by association gimmick, especially considering the film will court an English-speaking audience. Beyond the plot line of a man torn between his wife and mistress we see little resemblance to the original. And Match Point is hardly unique so far as that basic tension is concerned. But we'll withhold judgement until we see the finished product or hear Match Point disavowals from the Kites camp. Sometimes inspiration goes in gloriously unexpected directions.

Basu was awarded best director for his film Life in a...Metro by the International Indian Film Academy in June of this year.

Friday Session

2008-10-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Mid-Century Modernist looks at the set of Sleeper: "An amusing bit of trivia from Sleeper’s IMDB page: after the movie was released in one country outside the USA as “Woody and the Robots”, Woody Allen inserted a clause in all of his subsequent contracts that his movies’ titles could not be changed by other parties."

The Pauling Blog offers up some fun Annie Hall trivia: "I said that I couldn’t decide without seeing the script. And her reply was that the script had not been written for this part of the movie and would not be unless I agreed to come. I said that I liked Woody Allen, but felt that I should not do this job. The shooting will go on through the end of July and the first week in August."

Buzzgrinder gives it up: "I believe, with all of my opinionated vigor, that Woody Allen belongs on the extremely short list of Great American Auteurs. I’m not talking about a list that includes names like Romero, Spielberg and George Lucas — more about the likes of Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese and maybe Robert Altman on a good day."

Weekend Update:
Defense Debates and Gonzo About Style like Scoop. So that's three positive Scoop reviews in one weekend, counting the aforementioned Buzzgrinder piece. Weird times.

British Bananas Promotion

2008-10-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

This from then. 1971.

The Foreign Filmmaker

2008-10-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

Rumors of Allen filming his next movie in this city or that will be fast and furious from now on. We've brought your attention to reports of a 3 film deal in Spain, beginning with a film in Oviedo. This morning comes yet another rumor that Allen's next film will not be shot in Oviedo, let alone Spain.

Woody Allen has proved his popularity in France once again, with "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" opening at No. 1 and taking in $3.9 million from 412 screens in its opening weekend, the most of any of the director's films in French history, the film's distributor, Warner Bros. France, said Monday.

A total of 412 prints of the film were released in the territory, making for a per-screen average of 1,150 filmgoers. The movie was especially popular on Paris' 94 screens, with 208,554 tickets sold over the weekend. Allen is said to be planning to set his next film in the French capital.

We're happy that Allen gets to realize his life long dream of filming overseas, to make the kind of movies he's loved since he was young. But we're also sad. Whatever Works might one day be categorized as one of his final, perhaps the final, NYC film. But taking one thing with the other, we hope he continues on in Europe.

The Heart is a Strange Place

2008-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

How does one define love?

Different traditions have come at the question from varying angles.

Hippies, for example, see love as a lifestyle, a practice. People participate in love, whether sexual or platonic. They give themselves to the movement. Love is a noun.

Christians see love more in terms of an action than a feeling. One doesn't "fall" in love, one loves. What is love? Laying down your life for friends. Christians love through performance---there is disobedient love (adultery) and obedient love (fidelity). Love is a verb.

These are two camps among many. Woody Allen's art doesn't necessarily fit into either. His vision of love is simply that the heart is a strange place. In a Time magazine interview he famously quipped, "The heart wants what it wants. There's no logic to those things. You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that." Love is a muse.

The aforementioned article arose it the early stages of his romance with Soon-Yi Previn---now his wife, but at the time she was the adopted daughter (Andre Previn is her father) of his former girlfriend, Mia Farrow. Many saw his "the heart wants what it wants" plea as a guilty man's ploy to obfuscate matters, an attempt to slyly tip toe around the moral questions raised by Mia Farrow regarding his relationship with Soon-Yi.

Allen has always been careful to distinguish between reality and fiction, between his art and his life. Some readers still doubt this, but he did not grow up in a house under a roller coaster on Coney Island. Still, the circumstances of his relationship with Soon-Yi seemed too close a merger between art and reality. What critics applaud in two dimensions they ridicule in three.

A central theme in Allen's art is the unpredictability of love. This theme is there from the start, whether you're looking at Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask or The Whore of Mensa or The Shallowest Man. This is the theme that caused audiences to fall in love with Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters. It remains an undercurrent in recent films Anything Else and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Ironically, it's this recurrent theme concerning the unpredictability of love that have caused many to love the art while disapproving of the artist.

Allen's movies showcase the unpredictability of love in two salient ways. First, love can arise out of unexpected or unlikely circumstances. Second, the heart is surprising in what it desires. It might stand on its toes for a girl with whom one might discuss Melville or go ga-ga for a girl whose absolutely destined to cheat. "You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that."

Of Allen's preeminent themes, this is perhaps the most common. If you're new to his work, you'll have to grapple with these ideas. What is the nature of love and where are its boundaries? Whether one accepts or profoundly disagrees with Allen, few contemporary artist frame the question so beautifully, or know it so intimately.

Ozu and Allen

2008-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey M. Anderson has done film fans a service with this short take of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He writes:

In my review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I compared it to the work of Yasujiro Ozu, who is perhaps the greatest of all Japanese filmmakers. Ozu is very highly revered for at least one film, Tokyo Story (1953), which routinely ranks near Citizen Kane as one of the greatest films of all time. Yet it becomes greater still the more familiar one is with Ozu's other works (to date 15 Ozu films are available on Criterion DVDs). Ozu almost always used the same opening titles, the same cinematography and editing, the same actors, the same stories and even the same titles (even fans have trouble telling the difference between Late Spring, Early Summer, Late Autumn and The End of Summer). In working through the same themes again and again, Ozu was able to plumb much deeper into them than any other filmmaker could do with a single film. While he often dealt with family issues, his ultimate conclusion was that families break up, that life is disappointing, and that there's a kind of comfort in realizing and accepting that.

This issue of working through the same "themes again and again" is often misrepresented as a failing. But such criticisms are problematic on a few fronts. First, nearly every major writer or director works through the same themes--Fyodor Dostoevsky or Flannery O'Connor, as two random examples, are lauded for working through the same themes through out their careers. This is the precise reason they are celebrated. That is, because of their masterful resilience in asking the same penetrating questions of the world through a thoughtful network of plots and characters.

The second problem here is lazy criticism--one treatment of a particular theme can be very different from another, even from the same artist. The films of Allen's eternal justice trilogy--Crimes and Misdemeanors, Match Point, and Cassandra's Dream--share basic plot points, characters motivations, and each explores the theme of whether or not there is really such a thing as justice in the universe. Yet, each film supplies a very different response to this set of controls. Identifying the difference is a central task of the viewer.

Allen is a jazz musician. When you see repeated themes in his movies, think of theme as the melody line and each new film riffing on this theme or that theme as an instrument playing harmony. Sometimes the movie represents a great sax solo and other times it's simply a piano that has a little prominence in the bridge. Multiple treatments of the same theme provide colorful nuance. If you're able to identify recurrent themes, push yourself a little harder by asking how its treatment differs from or improves upon its previous occurrence(s). We've encouraged readers to do this with Annie Hall and Anything Else.

But the recurrence of theme also allows us to compare Allen to those filmmakers who share his questions of the world--filmmakers like Ozu. To what extent is Vicky Cristina Barcelona a thematic interaction with Tokyo Story? Is Allen consciously building off of Ozu, or is it a happy coincidence? Is the connection superficial or substantial? Does VCB better compare to Jules et Jim? What do Tokyo Story, Jules et Jim and Vicky Cristina Barcelona share in common? Etc...

For the casual movie lover, this is too much to ask, we understand. But for those who see film as something more than a time filler, these comparisons (the discovery of repeated themes, the possibility that a film fits within a broader stream of thought or family of films/filmmakers) are stimulating.

Friday Session

2008-10-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

If Charlie Parker...runs a memorable photo.

Londinium takes a stab at common elements.

What Would Toto Watch says Allen is the Indie King.

Headspace is nice to us.

wantArt offers up a Woody Allen oil painting.

Next Movie: Spain?

2008-10-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back we linked to a published report stating that Allen has signed a three-movie deal with Spain. Whether this means the Spanish government or a Spanish producer is uncertain. This morning Cafe Babel reports that Allen's next film will be set in Oviedo. They write:

Rumours on the circuit are that he will indeed be shooting his next film in the Asturian capital of Oviedo, where a bronze statue of him stands after he received the Principe de Asturias Prize for the Arts in 2002.

We'll keep you posted as confirmation becomes available.

Where Woody Writes?

2008-10-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Cityfile brings our attention to the latest Architectural Digest, which, for reasons unclear to us, is running a story on the Allen-Previn townhouse. The interior decor is not what we'd expect, but what is more troubling is that we'd have expectations. Can one argue modus ponens from a set a films to the decorative inference? The lunacy of fandom looms large in these little moments.

At any rate, we admit to scanning the room for his infamous idea drawer and the image to the left could be the desk where Allen knocks out New Yorker shorts, plays and the annual screenplay. From appearances, he must be in between plasma HDs.

Bollywood Tries its Luck at Match Point

2008-10-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Indian director Anurag Basu is currently filming with Hrithik Roshan in a rumored remake of Match Point. We know precious little about this project, but will post more information as it becomes available.

Update: More information on the project here. Its working title is Kites. The film is based on Match Point, but is being shot in several countries. A loose adaptation, we'd assume. There is still no word whether or not Woody Allen is aware of the project, let alone involved.

Chabrol's A Girl Cut in Two

2008-10-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last week, we ran across a P.T. Anderson interview (R rated, here) wherein he credits Zelig as an inspirational co-conspirator to what would become Boogie Nights. Did you see that coming? Neither did we.

This morning Curt Holman alerts Woody Watchers to Claude Chabrol's new film, A Girl Cut in Two. It's French, so a nod to Allen is expected, the comedian would say. Holman writes

It's hard to pigeonhole A Girl Cut in Two. Chabrol made his reputation as "the French Alfred Hitchcock" for suspense thrillers such as The Butcher, and the 78-year-old filmmaker keeps some plot points mysterious before taking a melodramatic turn in the last act. For most of its running time, however, it plays like a low-key comedy, with whimsical music trailing Paul like cheap cologne. When one character mentions a Woody Allen anecdote, the film's intentions snap into focus. Like Allen's recent films, A Girl Cut in Two involves intellectuals who find their good intentions at war with their desires. A Girl Cut in Two features a coda involving a bit of stage magic that seems like an outtake from an Allen film. Chabrol's movie feels more relaxed than Allen's serious work, even though his themes prove surprisingly modest.

Follow the link above for the full review, which includes more talk of Allen.

1969 Television Special

2008-10-08T12:25:00.001-07:00

In 1969, CBS aired a program called The Woody Allen Special. Embedded below is a promotion Allen did for the program, as well as clips from the show. The most famous of which is Allen's interview of evangelist Billy Graham.

Lay of the Land

2008-10-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

The CW Post Philosophy Department is sponsoring a discussion on Another Woman at Long Island University. If you're in the area, do attend. Promotion for the event includes descriptions of Another Woman as "classic" and "extraordinary." All true, but such descriptions have us thinking.

A word about Another Woman: Over time this film has gained esteem to the point that one frequently sees it on a short list of Allen's best films or as discussion fodder for "masterpieces" or "must sees" or sundry other similar descriptions. Allen has created an inordinate number of films that could be described in this way. That is, there is a delayed genius to some of his work that is best appreciated a decade or two down the line. And there are others, such as the aimless A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, that simply fade with time.

The Masterpieces
What Allen films are considered his masterpieces? Depends on who you ask, but the ones we've seen listed are Sleeper (1973), Annie Hall (1977), Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979) , Stardust Memories (1980), Zelig (1983), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987), Another Woman (1988), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Husbands and Wives (1992), and Bullets Over Broadway (1994).

Great
To the list of masterpieces, some would like to add Alice (1990), Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Deconstructing Harry (1997), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Match Point (2005), and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). But the merits of these films are controverted. Or, in the case of the latter two, too recent to accurately assess. Although, the early returns on Match Point and VCB are good.

The first list is not set in stone, and some of those films will gradually decline in acclaim just as they've gradually increased in favor since the time of their initial release. The second list is in flux, some of its members will rise to masterpiece status while others will fall to the ranks of the good but ultimately forgettable.

Good, but Ultimately Forgettable
Most of his early comedies are considered good to great, but are thought of more for their component sketches than the composite whole. Others in this category are Broadway Danny Rose (1984), September (1987), Oedipus Wrecks (1989), Shadows and Fog (1992), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), Celebrity (1998) and Melinda and Melinda (2004). Had Melinda and Melinda received the patient treatment of two proper features released concurrently, it could have been a triumph. We'll hold out hope that Allen will re-work this screenplay into two separate full length plays.

Two Recent Curiosities
Allen has two films--Anything Else and Cassandra's Dream--of which he thinks highly, despite the responses registered by critics and the box office. We agree with him, and think that both Anything Else and Cassandra's Dream are good to great films that will receive a positive posthumous re-evaluation.

Merely Mediocre
Finally, Allen has made a handful of merely mediocre movies--a list of films that are obviously flawed and not up to his standard. This list includes What's New, Pussycat? (1965), What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982), Small Time Crooks (2000), The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), Hollywood Ending (2002), and Scoop (2006).

Notice how many of the mediocre films have come this decade--in other words, this is why critics refer to the 2000s as Allen's period of decline. It's difficult to imagine scenarios wherein Crooks, Scorpion, Ending or Scoop will receive a revival. Their flaws are too prominent and the overall production too poor. For example, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion will be forever hobbled by Allen assuming the role of the lead character--a failed idea from start to last.

The shame in this is that all of these films are built around a clever idea that really could have won audiences. The premises of Small Time Crooks and Hollywood Ending are hilarious. But, for a variety of reasons, the movies just don't come off. Much like Melinda and Melinda, Small Time Crooks could see successful rebirth as a stage production. In another medium these two films may have been heralded "works of genius." In the main, the failures from this decade are hopelessly irredeemable as films. They're amazingly witty otherwise.

In terms of literature, Allen has penned a handful of masterful plays and stories. This list includes early plays Don't Drink the Water (1969) and Play It Again, Sam (1972); one-acts God and Death; early short stories A Look at Organized Crime, The Gossage-Vardebedian Papers, Mr. Big, The Whore of Mensa, If the Impressionist Were Dentist, Lovborg's Women Reconsidered, The Kugelmass Episode and The Shallowest Man. In our opinion, his best play is 1981's The Floating Light Bulb. Finally, his recent adaptation of Gianni Schicci opened to unanimous praise.

And to think, we hate lists.

Friday Session

2008-10-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

Eileen Chew reminds us of everyone's favorite Allen short: The Whore of Mensa.

Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry still sings to Paul Underwood.

Karen Cole Peralta takes on FEMA, inspired in her efforts by a conversation with Woody Allen.

The Purple Rose of Cairo--one of Allen's best--is given a so-so review.

Grant Withington likes Radiohead and several Allen openers.

Cristian Paul gives us the scoop on Allen's typeface. Well done, Cristian. HT: Oneliner.

Update:

There is a good conversation going at the Criterion Forum.

Filmcake is on a Woody kick.

If Charlie Parker was a Gunslinger...runs a photo of Allen and Arthur Miller. Try your hand at a caption in our comments. We like, "So, did you see last night's Knicks game?"

Inimitable or no imitators?

2008-10-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Woody Allen has said that current movies are bereft of his influence. "Everyone is influenced by Marty, no one by myself," the line goes. A modest sentiment, but untrue.

Woody Allen does in fact have imitators, but we'll leave that aside for a moment.

There is an old joke that has a would-be director pleading with a producer, "...but I want to make a Woody Allen movie!?" "Kid, only Woody Allen makes Woody Allen movies," comes the reply. Not entirely the case, but it's more or less true.

Woody Allen is inimitable. He voice is singular. His ability to interweave humor into life's most pressing conversations, to captivate an audience with dialogue, not explosions or gritty violence, and to transform his back drop into a character, is unique. In other words, it's not that people don't try to imitate Woody Allen, it's that they can't. And when they can, they can't get money.

Occassionally, however, a film passes through the gauntlet and is flattering in its imitation. A couple weeks back we brought your attention to In Search of a Midnight Kiss. That movie is on the mind of Susan Dunne, who has this to say

[Alex] Holdridge is heavily influenced by Woody Allen's " Manhattan," a black-and-white masterpiece that was as much a love letter to Allen's favorite city as it was to the idea of love. Holdridge doesn't have Allen's legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis, but he gets beautiful low-budget black-and-white work from Robert Murphy, bathing L.A. in romantic shadows and focusing on the most distinctive building exteriors and interiors.

Video Via Eddy Davis' Site

2008-10-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Over to the right you'll find a "Music" category with a short list of links. One of those links is to the Eddy Davis website. Davis is Allen's long time band director. You may remember him from Wild Man Blues.

We've just updated the list to include two performance videos that we'd not seen before. You can also find them here and here.

The Bunk Project is a fun CD, if for nothing else than to hear Woody Allen playing soulfully on tracks like What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Enjoy.

The Lost Novel

2008-10-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

J.D. Salinger is not dead.

Many are surprised to learn that Salinger is among the living. Old, but alive.

Decades ago the champion novelist did a weird thing. He retreated from public life, but not from his work. Although his last published work appeared some 40 years ago, we've not seen the last of J.D. Salinger. We'll be hearing from him after he's gone.

According to literary folklore, Salinger has continued to write. In fact, there are accounts that he is sitting on a treasure trove of novels and stories, the sum product of his self-imposed exile. They're meticulously organized and edited; they're ready for publication.

Woody Allen is not J.D. Salinger. But he too should enjoy a posthumous publication or two:

He [Allen] fears that his fame may also work against him. 'I tried to write a novel,' he says. 'And I finished it. But I didn't want to have a novel out there that would be regarded as the work of a celebrity. I didn't want it looked down upon or embraced because it had a celebrity name. I wanted to write a novel that could hold its own with professional novels, and I didn't think that this could, so I have it in my drawer. I just didn't think it was good enough.'

Woody Allen's "lost" novel. It makes one wonder what else is in that drawer.

What's with the name?

2008-10-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Some readers have puzzled over the title of this site, Good Small Films. A few have emailed to ask from which movie the phrase is taken, assuming it is uttered here or there by an Allen character. While those instincts are good, the phrase is not taken from an Allen film. It was snatched from an Allen interview.

Simon Garfield wrote a good story, perhaps the best we've read in the last decade, for the Observer during the filming of Match Point. While with the American director Garfield recorded these words

'In the United States things have changed a lot, and it's hard to make good small films now,' he says. 'There was a time in the 1950s when I wanted to be a playwright, because until that time movies, which mostly came out of Hollywood, were stupid and not interesting. Then we started to get wonderful European films, and American films started to grow up a little bit, and the industry became more fun to work in than the theatre. I loved it. But now it's taken a turn in the other direction and studios are back in command and are not that interested in pictures that make only a little bit of money. When I was younger, every week we'd get a Fellini or a Bergman or a Godard or Truffaut, but now you almost never get any of that. Filmmakers like myself have a hard time. The avaricious studios couldn't care less about good films - if they get a good film they're twice as happy, but money-making films are their goal. They only want these $100 million pictures that make $500m.

The Low-Life Element

2008-09-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, Woody Allen brought Gianni Schicchi to the stage to rave reviews. The NY Times is reporting that, despite the cat calls and proclamations of genius, Allen's own appraisal is that he brought the "low-life element" to his operatic debut.

Perhaps it's humble, self-deprecating humor or maybe he really did think it stunk. Your call. But when one refuses to take a bow, as Allen did during the one-act's run, it's either modesty or shame. Life is funny that way.

Woody Does PR for NYC

2008-09-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

New York magazine has published a recent interview with Woody Allen. Allen delivers good, matter-of-fact answers to a set of bland questions. If any of our international readers have footage of Allen discussing 9-11 on European television, we'd love to see it.

NY: Were you in the city on September 11?

WA: Yes, I remember exactly where. Someone in my house—I lived on 92nd Street then—said, “A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center,” and then we turned on a television set and then another one crashed, and we saw that. Two days later I was scheduled to go to Europe. A lot of people canceled going to Europe, there was a lot of fear. I wasn’t afraid, not because I’m anything but a major coward, but I was flying privately. I didn’t think that I could be hijacked. And because I went and I was a New Yorker, I became the spokesman for New York City and September 11. And I was on all the Sunday-morning news shows in France and England and Italy. I was suddenly on their versions of Face the Nation. And they were asking me, is this going to be the end of all humor? (They have a way of putting these things in European countries.) Is this the end of New York? And I said no, not at all. Not for a minute. I feel I was completely right. If you drop a person in New York City now and you drop them before September 11 and they didn’t know, they wouldn’t know the difference. I felt New York would metabolize it, and it would go on. New York would be the same vibrant city. And it is.

Anything Else in Perspective

2008-09-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

In his recent talk with Douglas McGrath, Woody Allen said "there was a lot of me" in Anything Else. In the context of the interview, Allen was not saying the film was autobiographical--the omnipresent claim of the lazy critic--but that the film approximated his view of life, an important distinction.

GSF believes that Anything Else is Allen's best film this decade. Yes, better than Match Point. Yes, better than Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It was coolly received by critics, but one critic--we can't remember which one (Roger Ebert?)--intelligently remarked that Anything Else would have received a great reception were it a film by an up and coming director, rather than the old master. Sometimes it's only Woody Allen who can't get away with making a "Woody Allen film."

When we posted the McGrath interview we wrote, "In GSF's opinion it's Allen's best film this decade, and one sure to receive higher marks in retrospective. If you're looking for a little fun, try watching Annie Hall and Anything Else back to back."

Thematically, Annie Hall and Anything Else share an approach to the world, and the characters of Alvy Singer, Jerry Faulk and David Dobel are kindred spirits. Life is understood through the joke that best expresses their predicament, and the jokes are more insightful than any philosophic prattle or some clinical tome on death and dying. Annie Hall and Anything Else are framed by the jokes of their respective opening sequences. But there is more than this, the films share plenty of apparent superficial similarities between characters, plot and dialogue. Who knows Allen's intent, but these things are indisputably there. The similarities are so frequent that there are a few scenes in which when one must assume Allen has become his own plagiarist.

Woody Allen's films frequently pay homage to the titans of European cinema, whether Bergman, Truffaut or Fellini. But while Anything Else contains a subtle tribute to The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, it is mostly content to pay tribute to a titan of American cinema: Woody Allen.

At this point, we're tempted to roll out a column of bullets matching the films point by point, but we'll resist the spoilers and let you chase them down.

Maybe its analysis paralysis, but we're not the only ones who've noticed this strikingly obvious connection. Tony Nigor of Flak Magazine offers up a worthwhile perspective that can't help but see the two films standing in the light of the other. While we aren't convinced that Nigor's reading is spot-on, it does see the parallel clearly. Once you've read Nigor, que up Annie Hall and Anything Else for a private screening.

Friday Session, rescheduled

2008-09-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Pastor Robert Sturdy gets a hoot out of Woody Allen interviewing Billy Graham.

Slag Zombie is nice to us.

Between the Frames makes the too oft-missed connection between VCB and Jules et Jim. Good on him, we say.

And Jacob Stein offers up a 3:10 hybrid of pure pleasure. HT: Sayings of Sam.

Mark Conrad on Woody Allen's View of Life

2008-09-23T15:33:00.001-07:00

Many of you have seen this, no doubt. Over at Metaphilm you can find an archived essay by Mark Conrad entitled, God, Suicide and the Meaning of Life: The Filmed Philosophy of Woody Allen. This essay was on our mind given Allen's recent reaffirmations about life being a "meaningless little flicker" and old age not being as good as its billing. It's been an uplifting week so far. Lock us in, we'll keep the joy flowing.

If all this meaninglessness is getting you down, click on a stand up bit from the sidebar.

Film Babble Blog Compares Allen to Bergman

2008-09-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is old by internet standards, but Daniel Johnson has done a yeoman's job with this Bergman-Allen primer. It's intended to be superficial, but it's still the place to start if you're yet to connect the dots.

Allen wrote Bergman's obituary for the New York Times.

"I've said it before to people who have a romanticized view of the artist and hold creation sacred: In the end, your art doesn't save you. No matter what sublime works you fabricate (and Bergman gave us a menu of amazing movie masterpieces) they don't shield you from the fateful knocking at the door that interrupted the knight and his friends at the end of "The Seventh Seal." And so on a summer's day, Bergman, the great cinematic poet of mortality, couldn't prolong his own inevitable checkmate, and the finest filmmaker of my lifetime was gone."

A Meaningless Little Flicker

2008-09-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Newsweek's Jennie Yabroff interviewed Woody Allen earlier this fall. The results are the same as the lions share of previous interviews, although Yabroff has done her homework. This always makes the interview better. Too bad NW didn't give her more space.

Allen comes off the same as ever.

"Your perception of time changes as you get older, because you see how brief everything is," he says. "You see how meaningless … I don't want to depress you, but it's a meaningless little flicker."

NW ran another Allen-related item in July, an interview with Patricia Clarkson.

Does he give a lot of direction?

He's completely hands off, and that's the beauty of Woody Allen. I think he's the least precious director I've ever worked with.

Out of Focus: Cache

2008-09-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

From time to time, Good Small Films will go Out of Focus for a post about a film or filmmaker not directly associated with Woody Allen. There are already far too many "reviews" on the internet, so we'll leave that to other sites. We hope to do something that is brief and fear of spoilers (take care when clicking on embedded links); we hope to provide a handful of talking points that will pique your interest enough to check out a director or movie you may have missed. In short, we hope to leave you with questions, not answers, and to encourage you to invest 2 hours of your time in something more than Woody watching.

By most accounts, Cache is one of the dozen or so great films of the new century. It's Austrian director Michael Haneke's masterpiece. Run a search of the film and you'll find that it was lauded world wide with awards and critical reception.

According to Haneke, the film is ultimately about living with guilt. The film's protagonist isn't Arthur Dimmesdale reincarnate, but Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil) is a character at odds with an event of his past. Haneke manages to ask poignant questions about the nature of guilt as it morphs and transforms in the current of life before pooling up many years later, down stream. It's easy to relate to this protagonist because his guilt is built upon a common "sin," the sort of sin nearly every member of the audience has committed. Laurent is not haunted by a mere peccadillo, but neither is he a savage. On average, he's a decent man and average citizen. He lives a routine life. So far as themes go, Heneke has not discovered oil. Nothing about the plot is spectacular. The genius of Cache is in the way the story is told. As Jake Meaney eloquently writes:

"Cache is about as deliberately composed a film as you are a likely to see; extremely clinical, forbiddingly cold, entirely drained of color. It's so exquisitely stark, that you know Haneke wants you to see, to really see, what it is he’s trying to get at. Or does he? There's a profound dissonance at work here, roiling underneath the film's staid sheen, a sort of ontological dread that has more to do with the film's composition than its narrative."

The genius of Cache is it's composition. Few films have done such a masterful job of interweaving theme and technique. The film's long, wide shots and lack of score are not the product of artsy-fartsy pretense. These decisions, with others aside, are beautiful, thoughtfully-appropriated marks of brilliant craftsmanship.If Cache's central theme is the affect of living with guilt, it's support themes are the hiddenness of sin, trust and deception.

No one in the film is completely trustworthy. They are all normal people, but each character is portrayed in both sympathetic and suspicious lights. Haneke only shows enough to make the plot coherent, with most stock details left to mercy of a lovely ambiguity. While most films of this type work toward a moment of knowing, this one achieves unknowing. Quoting Meaney again,

"There's something hidden in the long, static closing shot of Cache—a clue, an answer, a red herring, an epiphany. It's embedded deep, somewhere back in the shadows—or, perhaps, it's right up front, hiding in plain sight. It vastly alters everything that preceded it, demanding a total reevaluation of the film—or it just further complicates this already profoundly inscrutable mystery. It is a conclusion both languidly drawn out and violently abrupt, stunning in its simplicity, infuriating in its opacity."

Haneke has said that Cache self-consciously resisted the banality which is standard fare within American films. That is, rather than providing the film with a tidy resolution, it explodes in a firestorm of possibility. Is it an ending at all?

Finally, we'll leave you the obvious question left to all viewers of this film: Who is off camera? What are they doing? Why? And, not what is happening in this frame, but whose frame are we watching?

Manhattan Frames a Conversation

2008-09-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Rope of Silicon thinks about the question of what makes a movie great using Manhattan as a catalyst. Phileppe Leclercq does something different here, and it amounts to a fanciful but fun excursion. Fault google with translation issues.

Looking Back on Carlo Di Palma

2008-09-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

Senses of Cinema is always terrific. A reader brought my attention to a wonderful piece written by Peter Tonguette on Di Palma's collaborations with Allen. Allen's inclination toward single takes and long shots owes much to Di Palma.

Tonguette begins by writing, "The great director/cinematographer collaborations in film history include Orson Welles and Gregg Toland; Welles and Gary Graver; Allan Dwan and John Alton; Vincente Minnelli and Alton; Blake Edwards and Dick Bush; and, to my thinking, Woody Allen and Carlo Di Palma."

But Allen, owing as much to the opportunity that comes from having made 40 films, is one of the few directors who might make the list of "great director/cinematographer collaborations in film history" two or three times. Allen and Gordon Willis produced some remarkable images together---some of the most remarkable images in the history of film, actually. Allen and Sven Nykvist only worked together on three features, but two of them were something of a masterpiece (Crimes and Misdemeanors and Another Woman) so they must be mentioned. If Allen and Javier Aguirresarobe continue in a relationship that began with Vicky Cristina Barcelona, they could complete a remarkable series of films. GSF would be shell-schocked if Aguirresarobe did not receive multiple award nominations for his work in Allen portrait of Barcelona. Splitting one's DP duties between Pedro Almodovar and Woody Allen is not such a bad gig.

This is something to watch for in future films. Harris Savides is next at bat for Whatever Works, and that is something of interesting combination. If anyone with Allen's team is reading this, GSF casts its vote for Slawomir Idziak, whose work in Gattaca, The Double Life of Veronique and Blue is first rate.