A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)

(Traveling through the films of Woody Allen)

Title: A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
Release Date: 16 July 1982
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Mary Steenburgen, Jose Ferrer
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084329/

My Rating: (3/10) ★★★✩✩✩✩✩✩✩

I have tried to force myself to get through this movie three separate times, and on each occasion my mind wanders and I find myself thoroughly bored. This was the first Woody Allen film I ever tried to watch, and now that I'm examining his career I understand we got off to a very bad start. The combination of Mary Steenburgen and Mia Farrow is deadly, not to mention the rest of the neurotic ensemble in mostly period clothes, brooding about their philosophical troubles while doing their best Woody Allen impressions. Jose Ferrer is especially irritating. There are no sympathetic characters and no one to root for. It aims to be a quirky sex farce, but the pacing is off and the comedy doesn't land. The only redeemable quality is getting to see Woody Allen ride a flying bike. 

While important in the examination of Allen's canon, at least for the simple fact that it was the first time he worked both in an ensemble cast and with Mia Farrow,  this is my least favorite of his films to date.

Stardust Memories (1980)

(Traveling through the films of Woody Allen)

Title: Stardust Memories
Release Date: 26 September 1980
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081554/

My Rating: (9/10) ★★★★★★★★★✩

A complex and multi-faceted look inside the mind of a successful film director, stunted by his own early success and experiencing the loss of his own anonymity. This film explores, in a metatheatrical way, the sycophantic nature of the public who throughout the film declare their love and adoration for Sandy Bates (Allen), constantly interrupting his life and shining flashbulbs in his face at the most inopportune times. Meanwhile, the studio execs for Sandy's next film are determined to change the ending and make it more commercial.  The film, they say, suffers from too much reality and "reality is not what the public wants." Ultimately, the film shows that unless you figure out a way to blind yourself to the insurmountable negatives in this world, your life will ultimately be meaningless.

Brilliantly shot in black and white, the photography is outstanding and unique. Creative wide shots tell a much greater story than the closeups other directors might have chosen, and Woody works with a mostly new cast of collaborators. Of particular note, Charlotte Rampling as Dorrie. 

It's interesting to watch his films mature though it is hard to believe him when he says they aren't autobiographical.