Two Line Reviews - #419

Movie: A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)

Plot: A crazy inventor and his wife have a problematic period. That's when they invite two couples for a weekend at their summer house. The 3 pairs get entangled in many different ways causing a lot of riotous comedy in the process!

What Works?

• When Woody Allen handles subjects on relationships and infidelity, you can safely assume the film's going to be enjoyable and this one too is!
• The character of this film, apart from Woody obviously, is the Old Professor Leopold! His mannerisms and expressions of disdain score!
• Allen, Mia Farrow, Tony Robers, Steenburgen and Julie Hagerty as the peculiarly voiced nurse offer credible support!
• Allen's crazy flying machine and his crystal ball invention give a sense of the man's liking for parody!

Hilarious show of a raucously romantic summer weekend!

Two Line Reviews - #272

Movie: Husbands & Wives (1992)

 

Plot: A husband-wife duo announce the break-up. This shocks their close-friends couple but a dramatic turn around sees the former pair re-uniting and the latter pair splitting!

 

Highlights:

• The idiosyncracies (a term Allen so often uses) are quite evident with the flow of this Woody Allen flick.
• The ironic tale is narrated in a nice and interesting fashion with classy dialogues and scene segments.
• With Allen leading the way, Mia Farrow plays another good role & the young Liam Neeson supports well.

Ironies brought to life on-screen!

Two Line Reviews - #271

Movie: Hannah & her Sisters (1986)

 

Plot: A lady's husband falls in love with her sister and her ex-husband too has his share of the pie by getting into a relationship with the other sister of hers.

 

Highlights:

• This one is successful as a funny, likeable entertainer with Mia Farrow playing the pivot backed solidly by roles of substance given to her sisters & husbands ( Allen & McCaine)
• The style that the narrative takes with chapters goes well with the film's tempo.
• Woody Allen as the check-up addict & the religion philosphy seeker is a riot with his purposefully sidelined funny role.

Another relationship drama - Doesn't disappoint.

Two Line Reviews - #269

Movie: Zelig (1983)

 

Plot: There is a man who has the weird talent of becoming (looks-wise & behaviour-wise) anybody he observes and stays close to. The film is a documentary on such a mystifying character.

 

Highlights:

• Woody Allen makes the character 'Leonard Zelig' an instant legend with his superb essayal.
• The different characters that Zelig the chamaleon gets into are enjoyable.
• The narrative style employed - pucca documentary model - clicks big time.

A near-perfect mockumentary!

Two Line Reviews - #268

Movie: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

 

 

Plot: A theatre-addict woman loses herself to her love for movie-watching and when the relation with her unemployed husband starts getting rougher, she seeks solace with a character who dramatically moves from the reel screen to the real world!

 

Highlights:

• A novel concept, treated light-heartedly serves its purpose as a decent entertainer. Credits to Allen for that.
• The guy who plays the screen actor who moves out complements Mia Farrow's marvelously done role.
• The drama characters and their squabbles are funny.

 Unconventional, funny & is worth a watch.