I love films, perhaps more than I should. In fact, I consider myself a student of them, though I would never claim to be adept at interpreting or reviewing them. Nonetheless I enjoy film and watch it as an art form, not simply a means of entertainment. Every art form has its unique advantages, film's, obviously, being the ability to portray in a visible, dramatic way the nuances of life. It's easier to get paid for making a bad movie than a bad book, but it's at least as difficult to make a good movie as it is to write a good book. I don't often write movie reviews, but this specific film was powerful and depressing enough to motivate me to try my hand at it.
The film I am referencing is Woody Allen's latest (I think--he produces films at a freakishly prolific rate) effort, Cafe Society. It's not the best Allen film I've ever seen, but almost every movie of his I've ever had the pleasure of viewing has been worth the time (the one exclusion is Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was well-done, but utterly frivolous). The film, set in the '30s, centers around the experiences of Bobby Dorfman (played by Jesse Eisenberg) as he moves from New York to Hollywood and then back to New York. The naive and ambitious young man seeks to take advantage of his nepotistic opportunities, going to work for his Uncle, Phil Stern (Steve Carell), who is a wealthy Hollywood producer. He falls for Vonnie (the surprisingly cast Kristen Stewart), Stern's secretary, despite her up-front revelation of having a boyfriend. The plot thickens as we find out that her boyfriend, who is actually married, at first wants to leave his wife, but then doesn't, but then does. Having become disillusioned by the vanity of the Hollywood scene, Bobby finds his way back to New York, where he successfully manages his brother's ritzy nightclub. He finds love, success, and stability, but all of that is compromised when figures from his time in Hollywood find their way to New York.
A few thoughts:
Firstly, this film is incredibly well-acted, a hallmark of Allen's films. It's always difficult to tell if this is more the cast or the director. You see, Woody Allen attracts the best actors because he has a reputation for producing critically-acclaimed films that provide opportunities for awards to be won. On the other hand, his films have produced so many award winners because of his directorial prowess. Allen gets more out of an actor than almost anyone else. There's just no other way to put it. When the leading lady in your film is Kristen Stewart and your movie doesn't suck, you're a pretty darned good director. She was probably the weakest link in this cast, but she was more than serviceable. Woody Allen can make a great film with anyone from no names to household names.
Secondly, his directing is outdone only by his writing (his acting, which is actually pretty good, comes in a distant third). This story features the same three traits of his past films. It is original, well-told, and communicates a deeper truth. His dialogue is well-written and witty, without being unrealistic. His characters and character development are excellent, while his non-linear narrative weaves back and forth in a complex, but organized manner. He utilizes a narrator and flashbacks with precision. It is more literal than hyperbolic to assert that Woody Allen is a brilliant, inimitable storyteller.
Thirdly, and this is what I really want to discuss, he depicts real life, and depressingly so. One of my favorite characters was Leonard, the philosophy professor and nihilist. It almost seems as if this character was a little bit autobiographical for Allen. At one point he is "pondering the relentlessness of time," a concept with which I can identify. He even quotes Socrates on the meaninglessness of life. Allen's films have a way of just ending. To some it may seem lazy. To others it simply isn't very compelling (my wife is vocally in this group). I think his endings capture the essence of life. Life simply moves on. Things happen, both good and bad. We love some people and lose others. Sometimes people get away with crimes. Sometimes they don't. Life just keeps on going. I think this is partly why his films are set in diverse time periods--this principle transcends our day and age.
Allen has a way of making us laugh at the fact that life can really suck sometimes.
As a lover of film I think Woody Allen is a genius. He entertains me. He moves me. He makes me think. As a Christian lover of film I think Woody Allen is a sad genius. He reveals the emptiness of a life without God--a life without hope. Allen, an atheist, seems to recognize this emptiness. One of this film's characters, when facing the electric chair, converts from Judaism to Christianity, explaining that the Jews don't believe in an afterlife and he simply had to believe some part of him kept living. His mother, unable to discern if his conversion or crimes were worse, quips that the Jews would have more customers if they offered an afterlife. Allen seems to see religion as a useful diversion. His films are painfully honest in the way they approach meaning, in an almost Solomonic way. As a Christian I would never want to imbibe the attitudes of his films, but what I can do is appreciate their honesty and heed the warning they offer. Watching Woody Allen films is sort of like reading Ecclesiastes--they teach us that without God, life is meaningless.
If you enjoy well-written, well-directed, well-acted movies, Cafe Society will not disappoint you. It is certainly a film to watch with a discerning eye, but offers far more than mere entertainment. With this film Allen, as he often does, manages to engage the heart, intellect, and soul.
The film I am referencing is Woody Allen's latest (I think--he produces films at a freakishly prolific rate) effort, Cafe Society. It's not the best Allen film I've ever seen, but almost every movie of his I've ever had the pleasure of viewing has been worth the time (the one exclusion is Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was well-done, but utterly frivolous). The film, set in the '30s, centers around the experiences of Bobby Dorfman (played by Jesse Eisenberg) as he moves from New York to Hollywood and then back to New York. The naive and ambitious young man seeks to take advantage of his nepotistic opportunities, going to work for his Uncle, Phil Stern (Steve Carell), who is a wealthy Hollywood producer. He falls for Vonnie (the surprisingly cast Kristen Stewart), Stern's secretary, despite her up-front revelation of having a boyfriend. The plot thickens as we find out that her boyfriend, who is actually married, at first wants to leave his wife, but then doesn't, but then does. Having become disillusioned by the vanity of the Hollywood scene, Bobby finds his way back to New York, where he successfully manages his brother's ritzy nightclub. He finds love, success, and stability, but all of that is compromised when figures from his time in Hollywood find their way to New York.
A few thoughts:
Firstly, this film is incredibly well-acted, a hallmark of Allen's films. It's always difficult to tell if this is more the cast or the director. You see, Woody Allen attracts the best actors because he has a reputation for producing critically-acclaimed films that provide opportunities for awards to be won. On the other hand, his films have produced so many award winners because of his directorial prowess. Allen gets more out of an actor than almost anyone else. There's just no other way to put it. When the leading lady in your film is Kristen Stewart and your movie doesn't suck, you're a pretty darned good director. She was probably the weakest link in this cast, but she was more than serviceable. Woody Allen can make a great film with anyone from no names to household names.
Secondly, his directing is outdone only by his writing (his acting, which is actually pretty good, comes in a distant third). This story features the same three traits of his past films. It is original, well-told, and communicates a deeper truth. His dialogue is well-written and witty, without being unrealistic. His characters and character development are excellent, while his non-linear narrative weaves back and forth in a complex, but organized manner. He utilizes a narrator and flashbacks with precision. It is more literal than hyperbolic to assert that Woody Allen is a brilliant, inimitable storyteller.
Thirdly, and this is what I really want to discuss, he depicts real life, and depressingly so. One of my favorite characters was Leonard, the philosophy professor and nihilist. It almost seems as if this character was a little bit autobiographical for Allen. At one point he is "pondering the relentlessness of time," a concept with which I can identify. He even quotes Socrates on the meaninglessness of life. Allen's films have a way of just ending. To some it may seem lazy. To others it simply isn't very compelling (my wife is vocally in this group). I think his endings capture the essence of life. Life simply moves on. Things happen, both good and bad. We love some people and lose others. Sometimes people get away with crimes. Sometimes they don't. Life just keeps on going. I think this is partly why his films are set in diverse time periods--this principle transcends our day and age.
Allen has a way of making us laugh at the fact that life can really suck sometimes.
As a lover of film I think Woody Allen is a genius. He entertains me. He moves me. He makes me think. As a Christian lover of film I think Woody Allen is a sad genius. He reveals the emptiness of a life without God--a life without hope. Allen, an atheist, seems to recognize this emptiness. One of this film's characters, when facing the electric chair, converts from Judaism to Christianity, explaining that the Jews don't believe in an afterlife and he simply had to believe some part of him kept living. His mother, unable to discern if his conversion or crimes were worse, quips that the Jews would have more customers if they offered an afterlife. Allen seems to see religion as a useful diversion. His films are painfully honest in the way they approach meaning, in an almost Solomonic way. As a Christian I would never want to imbibe the attitudes of his films, but what I can do is appreciate their honesty and heed the warning they offer. Watching Woody Allen films is sort of like reading Ecclesiastes--they teach us that without God, life is meaningless.
If you enjoy well-written, well-directed, well-acted movies, Cafe Society will not disappoint you. It is certainly a film to watch with a discerning eye, but offers far more than mere entertainment. With this film Allen, as he often does, manages to engage the heart, intellect, and soul.
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