General Movie Thread

[JonFromMaplewood]

The cream: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, Radio Days, Crimes & Misdemeanors, Take the Money and Run, Zelig, Hannah and Her Sisters...

Also: Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bulletts Over Broadway, Stardust Memories, Bananas, Mighty Aphrodite, Shadows and Fog, Play It Again Sam (not director)...

Some prefer his 'earlier, funny' films (there's a distinct change of tone, and a move away from silliness, from Annie Hall and onward) and don't like serious Woody, but I think he's great doing both.

Another vote here for Love and Death as one of his best early funny movies.  I have also become more of a fan of Husbands and Wives as of late.  Some dear friends of ours just became the Sydney Pollack, Judy Davis couple in that movie, and so now I realize how incredibly insightful the movie is.

[Martin]

Oh shit, I completely forgot about Husbands and Wifes! That's absolutely up there as one of his Greats.

[Chris L]

Husbands & Wives is kind of a demarcation line for me, as I think it's his last great one (what happened to Judy Davis' film career anyway?).  Sweet & Lowdown is the most recent I've seen that I would recommend.   He's utterly and irrevocably lost his touch, in my opinion.  After Vicky Christina I don't think any amount of critical praise could persuade me to check out anything new from him.  That movie was insufferable. 

I didn't bother with Match Point, actually, since as has been pointed out it sounded like a watered-down Crimes & Misdemeanors retread.  Also, Ebert seemed to be beating the drum for it earliest and loudest, so there you go.

[Bryan]

I basically agree with everyone's appraisal - I totally follow conventional wisdom when it comes to Woody. I like his "early, funny" movies, and he was reliably great right up to Husbands & Wives.

I will throw in a recommendation for "Deconstructing Harry", in my opinion his last movie that's actually funny. I checked out after "Curse of the Jade Scorpion." Haven't seen any of his recent spate of "he's still got it"/"not as bad as usual" movies.

[JonFromMaplewood]

I didn't bother with Match Point, actually, since as has been pointed out it sounded like a watered-down Crimes & Misdemeanors retread. 

I felt that Match Point came to the exact opposite conclusion regarding morality than did Crimes & Misdemeanors.  So it is not really a retread. But then it sucks for new reasons...specifically because the man behind the two films has no consistent philosophy to express.

[Smelodies]

I watched Public Enemies, which was kinda bleh.  As usual, Mann is a wizard with digital video and shoot-outs, not so much w/ character or drama this time. 

Is this the equivalent of the diner scene in Heat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrcgjMJmvNg

[masterofsparks]

I basically agree with everyone's appraisal - I totally follow conventional wisdom when it comes to Woody. I like his "early, funny" movies, and he was reliably great right up to Husbands & Wives.

I will throw in a recommendation for "Deconstructing Harry", in my opinion his last movie that's actually funny. I checked out after "Curse of the Jade Scorpion." Haven't seen any of his recent spate of "he's still got it"/"not as bad as usual" movies.

I like Deconstructing Harry, but I wouldn't put it on the list of his greatest movies. I do think Husbands and Wives is great, but I also really like the two that followed: Manhattan Murder Mystery (not really, more like really enjoyable fluff) and Bullets Over Broadway (which I love and is, I think, his last truly great movie).

[harris]

The Woody Allen drama's like Husbands and Wives, Hannah and her Sister, Interiors, Crimes and Misdomeaners, Manhattan and Stardust Memories are all really good films but they tend to all blend together in my memory, which is an irritating problem.

[buffcoat]

The Woody Allen drama's like Husbands and Wives, Hannah and her Sister, Interiors, Crimes and Misdomeaners, Manhattan and Stardust Memories are all really good films but they tend to all blend together in my memory, which is an irritating problem.

I see Stardust Memories as more of a comedy, but it's definitely closer to a drama than most of his others.

[gravy boat]

I'll take Vicki Christina and Match Point over some of the later films Woody starred in like Mighty Aphrodite or Small Time Crooks.  His acting kills a lot of his movies for me.  Bullets Over Broadway may be my favorite -- "Don't speak!"

[Trembling Eagle]

Just watched the Crying Game again, good movie. Forrest Whittaker is solid, the whole story moves along at a nice clip. I forgot about the funny bits.

Did people really not know that was a dude right away back then? I feel like today we'd know right off.

The again I forgot how soon in the story it was revealed so its not like the director thought he could string us along for the whole thing.

I like Irish accents esp on chicks (no offense).

[Mark in Helsinki]

I'll take Vicki Christina and Match Point over some of the later films Woody starred in like Mighty Aphrodite or Small Time Crooks.  His acting kills a lot of his movies for me.  Bullets Over Broadway may be my favorite -- "Don't speak!"

I have fond memories of Radio Days and Zelig.

[chuck from cedar rapids]

I watched "Crank" for the first time in a couple years. Crank 2 was solid, but the first movie really shines. I've done a bit of video editing and shoot since my first viewing and I was really blown away with some of the shots they were able to get. Crank 2 is even more impressive in this respect.

It's hard to go wrong with Jason Statham. He may be in some awful movies but he almost always turns in an entertaining performance and really seems to enjoy what he does.

[masterofsparks]

I watched "Crank" for the first time in a couple years. Crank 2 was solid, but the first movie really shines. I've done a bit of video editing and shoot since my first viewing and I was really blown away with some of the shots they were able to get. Crank 2 is even more impressive in this respect.

It's hard to go wrong with Jason Statham. He may be in some awful movies but he almost always turns in an entertaining performance and really seems to enjoy what he does.

The Transporter is one of my favorite bad movies.

[dave from knoxville]

Just watched the Crying Game again, good movie. Forrest Whittaker is solid, the whole story moves along at a nice clip. I forgot about the funny bits.

Did people really not know that was a dude right away back then? I feel like today we'd know right off.

The again I forgot how soon in the story it was revealed so its not like the director thought he could string us along for the whole thing.

I like Irish accents esp on chicks (no offense).

The hands.