Just finished reading a distinctly superficial and by-the-numbers interview with Woody Allen in today's Guardian. The following titbit regarding his latest opus Match Point, did, however, catch my eye:
It is the first film he has shot in London and it is big and long and serious, something the audience is tipped off about early on when the lead character, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, is filmed casually reading Crime and Punishment.1
Now I've always been a pretty big Woody fan, but descriptions such as the above do tend to induce apprehensive cringing. I've yet to see the film of course, but one can't help but wish that Allen would refrain from asking today's 'beautiful young things' to portray (conservatively-dressed) 'intellectuals' who (inevitably and inexplicably) love early jazz, Bergman, Dostoevsky, and everything else the Woodster associates with the 'cultured' individual.
There have been numerous examples, in recent years, of such bizarrely anachronistic, intense young hipsters populating his movies. This stock Allen character has remained (despite a dramatically altered cultural climate) largely unchanged since Annie Hall…a fact that highlights Woody's lack of interest in (or understanding of) contemporary 'youth culture'.
When Allen makes movies about his peers/contemporaries, however, the results are far less distracting, and far more engaging and credible. Witness the excellent (and underrated) Manhattan Murder Mystery for example. It was particularly rare and refreshing to see Allen cast opposite a female partner (Diane Keaton) who wasn't half his age, and the believability of this central relationship added immeasurably to a film full of unpretentious warmth and charm…with nary a Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, or (Crime and Punishment-readin') Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in sight.
Judgement will, naturally, have to be suspended until I actually see Match Point, but I'm not exactly getting my hopes up…
I’m a Woody fan too, but I agree that the image he paints of the cultured young individual has become something of a cliché. Have you read any of the books? The Complete Prose and Manhattan are probably my favourite pieces of work from the guy. Nice blog you have here, why haven’t I seen it before?
December 21st, 2005 at 4:26 pmKevin,
I’ve read quite a bit actually: Without Feathers, Side Effects etc. The best of it is very, very good indeed. The lesser stuff, though, comes across as rather laboured and pretentious at times.
Thnaks for the comments RE: the blog. I’m not very good at pushing or promoting it…so hits per day remain modest. Feel free to tell your friends!
December 21st, 2005 at 6:13 pmThe Complete Prose is basically all his short stories together. Some of it is indeed very good; I especially like the story about the man who didn’t know he was a dwarf. I think his stuff should be read in parts; too much altogether and it does become monotonous and frustrating. As far as pretentious goes: well, it is Woody Allen.
I’ll stick a link to this blog now, and add you to my subscribed feeds.
December 21st, 2005 at 7:30 pmThe Whore of Mensa is always good for a laugh too.
It’d be interesting to see what Woody would come up with if he focused on prose now. Maturity and experience would ensure a very different animal I reckon.
Have added your good self to my links page, Kevin.
December 22nd, 2005 at 9:53 amGood point about Biggs and Rhys-Meyers. When the “Woody” we know and love from Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories appeared on the silver screen, he was in his late 30s/early 40s; a mature (sort of), sophisticated, early middle-aged guy struggling with attempted mensch-hood in a neurotic urban landscape. Woody never made movies about ‘intense young hipsters’, so why start now? In fact, if memory serves, hippiositude was always gently lampooned - remember his character in Sleeper?
Given what a breath of refreshingly adult air most of us will have found Sideways this year, there must be an appetite out there for the kind of fare an ageing, reflective Woody might well produce if he were to adopt his former contemporary rather than his contemporary retrospective approach. In the same way that there aren’t that many films that tell us what it’s like to be in early middle age like Paul Giamatti, there are bugger all that tell us what it’s like to move towards old age.
I, for one, would like to know. And I wouldn’t be averse to having the Woodmeister tell me.
December 22nd, 2005 at 10:03 pmPerhaps he hasn’t - and probably won’t - delve into films concerning the move towards old age is because - according to a recent interview - he says it’s not graceful, that no additional wisdom is found, that the body wears down and that, in general, it’s terrible.
Maybe we should employ Leonard Cohen to tell us about old age; I saw an interview with him on the Biography channel recently, and he seems to be loving every moment of life as he progresses towards, well, death.
And yes, The Whore of Mensa is great!
December 24th, 2005 at 2:15 pmWell Leonard Cohen was always a roguish old man trapped in a young man’s body, so it’s no surprise to hear about his attitude to aging.
Interesting to note Woody’s contrasting opinion too. It may indeed explain why he’s avoided aging protagonists in his work. Pity, because when he does write middle-aged/elderly parts he often does it extremely well. Martin Landau’s character in Crimes and Misdemeanors is a good example.
December 27th, 2005 at 7:16 pm