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. 

Annie Hall (1977)

(Traveling through the films of Woody Allen)

Title: Annie Hall
Release Date: 20 April 1977
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Paul Simon, Christopher Walken
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/
My Rating: (9/10) ★★★★★★★★★✩

"You know how you're always trying to get things to come out perfect in art because it's so difficult in life"

Originally titled Anhedonia, or the inability to find pleasure from normally pleasurable events, this movie follows Alvy Singer (Allen) in his failed relationship with Annie Hall. Diane Keaton turns in a strong performance but, for me,  this movie belongs to Woody Allen. For the first time in his body of work I saw a mature, deeply complex protagonist. His character as a complex, multi-faceted everyman. As me. Someone who has a tendency to sabotage their own happiness, yet lacks the true self awareness to see that he is clearly the cause of his own displeasure. Annie says to Alvy late in the film "You're incapable of enjoying life. You're like NYC, you're like this person, you're like this island unto yourself..." and then tells him "You know how wonderful you are...you're the reason that I got out of my room, that I was able to sing, get more in touch with my feelings..." This succinct summation of a person's ability to encourage happiness in others while prohibiting their own is a profound revelation to me. It's lovely how it is mirrored in Alvy's suggesting of an analyst, college courses, and certain books to Annie and then being left behind by her enlightenment in these areas. 

Technically, the long shots are beautifully and creatively composed and help the audience to get lost in the story. I only counted one instance that made me want to stab my eyes out (about fifteen minutes into the film Tony Roberts and Woody have a lengthy dialogue which begins with them so unidentifiably in the background of a wide shot. This shot holds as it takes them at least 45 seconds to come into frame. They slowly travel to camera but just trying to read the shot for the first half of the scene pulled me out of the film).

The stories are true! This film marks the beginning of a more mature era of filmmaking for Woody Allen. Deeply complex, boldly personal, and quite touching on many levels.