Hollywood Ending (2002)
- General info
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- Synopsis:
- Woody Allen plays Val Waxman, a once-famous film director who's down on his luck and just needs one good picture to bring his career back. But when Val gets an offer to make a big film, his paranoia causes him to go psychosomatic blind. He and a few friends scramble to cover up his disability and keep the studio executives from discovering that Val's directing the film in the dark, which gets tougher as Val's ineptitude starts to shine.
- Actors:
- Woody Allen, Téa Leoni, Bob Dorian, Ivan Martin, Gregg Edelman, George Hamilton, Treat Williams, Debra Messing, Neal Huff, Mark Rydell, Douglas McGrath, Stephanie Roth Haberle, Bill Gerber, Roxanne Perry, Barbara Carroll
- Directors:
- Woody Allen
- Writers:
- Woody Allen
- Genres:
- Comedy, Romance
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Reviews (1) of Hollywood Ending
Autobiographical Comedy. - Hollywood Ending review by Steve
Woody Allen plays a temperamental film maker fallen on hard times... As a favour, his successful ex-wife ( Téa Leoni), throws a project his way. But just at that moment, the stressed director goes psychosomatically blind. Apparently this was inspired by Allen's collaboration with cinematographer Sven Nykvist, whose eyesight was failing.
Woody's agent (Mark Rydell) convinces him to make the film anyway as he's on an absolute last chance, so the blind director takes into his confidence a Chinese interpreter hired because the camera operator speaks no English... And there is a strong impression that this is all drawn from a lifetime making pictures.
There are problems consistent with Allen's other releases at the turn of the century. Some of the dialogue is familiar (Allen says he never rewatches his films, so maybe that's why) and as a screen couple, Woody and Leoni can't overcome not even being from adjoining generations.
But this is still funny, with inspired farce and a good story. There's even some slapstick. Not everything pays off. It's a touch long and the best lines are all in the first half. But the cast is well chosen as usual, and Leoni makes an appealing and skilled comic partner. And there's plenty of insider insight to enjoy.