tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post5613325852967199189..comments2023-07-23T09:45:33.199-05:00Comments on the last lullaby (and) peril: The Curious Case of Woody AllenJeffrey Goodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-91675645178349469822010-01-15T10:06:09.337-06:002010-01-15T10:06:09.337-06:00Ed, so well put! I actually haven't seen Cele...Ed, so well put! I actually haven't seen Celebrity but will definitely grab it when I do my "Favorites of My Favorites" piece on Woody. And now that you mention it, I remember thinking how evocative those dissolves were in VCB. <br /><br />Thanks so much for your wonderful insight here!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2361395648458719073.post-49995234345060888512010-01-15T09:19:17.112-06:002010-01-15T09:19:17.112-06:00So, so, so true. Woody seems to have fallen out of...So, so, so true. Woody seems to have fallen out of favor with a lot of people, despite flashes of critical enthusiasm for movies like <i>Match Point</i> and <i>Vicky Cristina Barcelona</i> (well-deserved at least in the latter case). But he's a remarkable director with a surprisingly rich body of work behind him. <i>Broadway Danny Rose</i> makes me laugh like few other films, especially the helium scene; it's one of my favorites. And as you point out, his filmography also boasts plenty of departures and experiments that belie his reputation as a simple, workmanlike director of comedies. <i>Celebrity</i> is a fantastic satire that almost never gets any respect: its cinematography is simply gorgeous and it has some great performances, especially Kenneth Branagh taking the characteristic neurotic Woody persona to much darker territory than usual, and Charlize Theron in a jaw-droppingly funny bit part. In <i>VCB</i>, there is a series of dissolves between two characters that, with very simple cinematic language, creates an aching, emotionally moving moment. Woody doesn't get enough credit as a filmmaker for stuff like this, for his aesthetic skill and the oft-surprising depth of his characters and themes.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.com