The trailer for Woody Allen's most recent film, Match Point, is finally up. It caused a big stir at Cannes this year and is being called one of his greatest films. Looks fantastic, and now I have yet another film to add on to my already lengthy fall film list.

That's not a trailer. It's a complete spoiler. Damn !
I'd rather not have seen it

If I didn't know that was a Woody Allen film, I really wouldn't have known.

Interesting.

BinaryJustin said:

I checked to see if I had clicked at the wrong link

BinaryJustin said:

yeah, it´s the first film of his completely shot outside of NY or the USA. That song accompanying the trailer and those sex scenes are totally un-woodyallen.

wow, reading all these comments, i really don't want to click on the link. i'd rather be surprised. i've been waiting many years for woody allen to make another great film...i was afraid he's just become too old and out of touch to have anything good left in him.

Anxiety said:

I don't think you can be too old to make a great film (in fact, I think the opposite is true). And I don't think being "out of touch" has made his recent films disappointing - more that he's been pandering and making very light films since The Scandal. Here's hoping Match Point is as good as they say it is and that it signals a return to form for The Woodman.

Ace said:

i thought 'jade scorpion' and 'hollywood ending' were downright embarrassing, and while there were some good moments in 'anything else', i cringed whenever they talked about going to their 'analyst'. who calls a shrink an 'analyst' anymore? that's what i mean about woody being out of touch. i fear he's become out of touch the same way you could see kubrick was trapped in his own little world when he made 'eyes wide shut'. you become so successful for creating a world of fiction that you forget that the world you're reflecting upon continues to grow. i think woody can absolutely make more great films, but i do fear he's made so many films that he's fighting some burn-out after all these years.

Anxiety said:

Even though flicks like Scorpion and Hollywood Ending are worlds away from his best work, I always find something I like in his films. I hear what you're saying about being out of touch, but I guess the details matter less to me than the heart of the matter. As for Eyes Wide Shut, I really dug that film when I saw it.

But, hey - I'm just glad there are other people here who like Woody's work and want to discuss it.

Ace said:

oh, i liked 'eyes wide shut', too - i've defended it a lot over the years, in fact - but one of the great flaws of that movie to me was his choice to film a story set in new york on soundstages that looked nothing like new york, only taking his word for it that this story was even OSTENSIBLY supposed to be set in manhattan. why not just set it in london? it would have been more believable, even if the stars were american. kubrick was out of his element setting a film in a modern day american metropolis, and it came off making him look isolated and careless in this regard - other aspects of the film were wonderful.

i hate saying it, but there was NOTHING i liked about hollywood ending or jade scorpion...woody looked bewildered and tired in those movies, and the other actors looked uncomfortable. the dialog in both was just depressing.

Anxiety said:

But most of his actors lines are unscripted aren't they? I think that his poorer films suffer from having actors whom acted in a "Woody way". If you know what I mean.

The two (young) main leads in this latest film seem to be a breath of fresh air.

The last one I saw was Deconstructing Harry. I haven't seen any since. That's probably due to my Partner not being a big fan...and I am a fan only around others. I think I have seen the majority of his work, But I have been curious about the last few, which I haven't seen. Any recommendations?

My favorites are...

Husbands and Wives
Mahattan Murder Mystery
Bullets over Broadway
Annie Hall
Everything you always...
Sleeper

superspaceboy said:

My favorite of his is Crimes & Misdemeanors. I also really, really love September, a film that bores a lot of folks.

BinaryJustin said:

No. He will allow them leeway to change a word here or there so that their lines more closely resemble something they feel natural saying, but his films are strictly scripted.

Anxiety said:

I think I know what you're getting at...but that description is how he is in ALL of his movies.

RipHer2Shreds said:

I LOVE september. Really good and underrated film. THough it is his slowest and not that funny at all. But it is not a stinker (I reserve that one for Shadows and Fog) I Love Alice too...I forgot about that one. Very lovely movie.

superspaceboy said:

I like September and Alice, as well. But Shadows & Fog a stinker?! I think I'm gonna go out on a limb and call that his most underrated flick.

Ace said:

I dunno...I found it lost and very meandering...which could be the reason for the title.

Then again I know some who HATE Husbands and Wives...and I think that's probably one of his best.

superspaceboy said:

Well, I liked Celebrity (although I seem to be in the minority there). I really liked the scenes between Woody and Jason Biggs in Anything Else. If you liked Bullets, you might like Sweet & Lowdown. Melinda & Melinda was alright.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Ditto.

superspaceboy said:

Hate Husbands & Wives? I would end this relationship immediately.

Shadows & Fog is a metaphor for life (which would explain the "lost and very meandering" quality).

Ace said:

You could be referring to Robert Altman. He's famous - and much loved among actors - for using the script only as an outline for the movie and letting the actors take the dialogue where they think the characters would take it.

Ace said:

Agreed Looking forward to it.

Ace said:

Actually - I'll say this film was his best to date.

superspaceboy said:

well, it used to look like it was on purpose. in 'hollywood ending' especially, he just looked like a lost little old man. he got some of his gusto back for 'anything else', which i wasn't crazy about either, but i did laugh a few times and it gave me hope that he could come back to us.