Woody Allen begins like a stand up, addressing the camera, reflecting on the end of an affair. But everything has changed. His bald patch is concealed under a comb-over. The wild hair from his early funny films has gone. He has been styled into a suit, though the trademark spectacles remain.
Diane Keaton- in the title role- is made over into a preppy look that was copied across the world. A Woody Allen release is now is aimed at a mainstream audience, and wins the Oscar for Best Film. There are moments of drama which are no longer punctured by a joke about bodily functions. And the quality of the writing is at another level.
This is innovative and personal, but has moments of delicious romance. It is funnier than his early funny films, but Woody's persona now has a darker side. Keaton's comic performance is irrepressible, and stands comparison with anyone from any period. She's screwball, but absorbs genuine emotions too.
Nothing doesn't work. Every joke hits the mark with exquisite timing. Like the scene when Woody sneezes into a lot of dollars worth of cocaine. It has an all time great screenplay, which has been widely copied, but never improved on. This is one of the great films of American cinema.
I watched about 20 min of this and gave up. It seems to be totally focused on Woody Allen himself. Is he just a narcissist?. I don't really get the zany stuff either although I have enjoyed Steve Martin films sometimes. Perhaps I was not in the right mood for this and chose the wrong film for my tastes..
I agree with GW, but endured it to the end. Woody's character has a relationship with a beautiful intelligent woman, but is totally self obsessed, anti-social & miserable. More than likely a screenplay of his own persona. His constant arty-farty over-intellectual jabbering is irritating & pretentious; why doesn't he just say what he means ? It's not that funny, except a couple of wise quotes at the start taken from Groucho Marx.