Woody Allen Movies

I've seen just about all of Woody Allen's movies, if not in the theater, then on DVD.

When a person writes and directs one feature film every year, some are bound to be duds, but others will be great and worth watching more than once.

My very favorite Woody Allen movie is Hannah and Her Sisters. Someone suggested that may be because I have sisters. It's possible, though not an overt feeling on my part. I just think the characters are realistic, have such depth, and their relationships are multi-faceted. There's so much going on in their lives from a variety of perspectives.

A close second in terms of favorite movie is Midnight in Paris. I saw it when it was first released and recently watched it again. While this movie is clearly a fantasy, it's just SO enjoyable. And the music is great. I actually bought the CD of the soundtrack which I have been playing regularly for the last few weeks. It doesn't hurt that I love Cole Porter's songs. My favorite is You Do Something to Me, though Let's Do It has been running through my head for the last several days.

Another favorite is Blue Jasmine. This is a serious movie, very unlike most of Woody Allen's. It's somewhat reminiscent of Tennessee Williams' Streetcar Named Desire which I also view every few years. The definitive version, of course, is the one with Marlon Brando.

Allen's most recent movie is Wonder Wheel. While it is narrated by Justin Timberlake and might give the impression of a comedy, this film is very much in the genre of Blue Jasmine. It involves a moral dilemma, which is a theme in several of his movies.

This idea of a moral dilemma plays a big part in Irrational Man. However, the movie, which tries to be a thriller, just doesn't make it. I love both Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix, but I doubt I'd ever bother to see the movie again.

Another film that began with a good premise but wasn't able to follow through is To Rome With Love. Three amusing stories that take place in Rome, flip back and forth from one to the other. I found that the stories sounded a lot funnier when I was describing them later to a friend. On the screen, they somehow didn't quite work.

And then there is Melinda and Melinda. What a great idea! A group of playwrights is arguing about whether people prefer to watch comedy (to forget their tragic lives) or tragedy (to make their lives look better). The men begin with the same scene and develop two different stories. In the film, the stories go back and forth and I found trying to keep the characters straight was totally confusing. Another one to add to the "don't bother to see again" pile.

Most of Woody Allen's other movies fall somewhere in between, though Annie Hall is often listed as one of his best and I do like it.

I've been borrowing DVDs of Allen's movies on a regular basis for the last few months. Given how many he's made, there are still lots to come.