Rate/Rank the Woody Allen directed Films ( UPDATED)

Rate/Rank the Woody Allen directed Films ( UPDATED) Jan 4, 2020 9:14:57 GMT

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Post by Toasted Cheese on Jan 4, 2020 9:14:57 GMT

Jan 4, 2020 1:53:24 GMT dirtypillows said:

Jan 3, 2020 22:09:29 GMT Toasted Cheese said:

I have seen Bananas once. It was zany and amusing, but can't really say it left a massive impression on me. Sleeper is quirky, quite delightful and silly. I think Love & Death is more amusing though.

I don't recall enjoying much about Mighty Aphrodite and Sorvino just annoyed me. This was in the 90's though and a repeated viewing my change my opinion.

As you know I love Interiors. What a classic that one is to my mind. Part of the reason is it also takes me a bit out of my comfort zone because I also find it blackly funny and it is a serious drama. I may be laughing at it rather than with it. I think it is a very carefully and thought out film and I love all the characters and their differing personality traits.

Hannah And Her Sisters has always come across as middling and even dreary to me.

I never thought anything about "Interiors"' potential for being black comedy. This is possible. Geraldine Page with her anal retentiveness towards austerity. Mary Kay Place annoyed the heck out of me. I found the dialogue florid to the point of being torturous. I did, however - as you already know - love and adore the Pearl character, played by the always reliable Maureen Stapleton. She was the warm center of what seemed to me a very cold movie. I don't remember if I put her on my list of 100 favorite females.

I can see where you're coming from regarding "Hannah and Her Sisters". It is sort of half way point between comedy and drama. So, possibly that's where your word choice "middling" comes in... Pauline Kael herself said as much, that Woody Allen could get everything in that he wanted to and the result was that it neither succeeded as drama nor comedy. I did think Dianne Weist is shockingly good. She is an irresistible bundle of nervous tics. She deserved every award she got for playing Holly. Mia Farrow was pretty good as the stable sister and Barbara Hershey is Barbara Hershey. I've never found her to be all that interesting, though I have yet to see "Shy People" or "The Entity". Michael Caine is his usual good, solid, charming self. I do, near desperately, want to see "Last Summer", with Hershey and Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison and Catherine Burns. I want to see it largely because Cathy Burns is supposed to be excellent in it and I am intrigued - think I might really get into her performance, just a hunch - and also the fact that it was made in 1969 bodes well.

I have a feeling I would like "Sleeper" a lot. And "Love and Death" is barely on the register with me. I don't know much about that one.

Interiors does have some howlers in the dialog, it is heightened and over-intellectualised conversation, however, within the frame work of what the movie is depicting and the character dynamic, it just all works for me. This family is over-educated and disconnected and the controlling mentally unhinged mother is largely to blame for the coldness and aloofness of feeling in their lives. Mary Beth Hurt says as much in her soliloquy to her mother...”I feel such rage towards you!”...

The sparse icy feel of the film’s design works wonders for my sense of aesthetic and each scene adds something, other than just a distracting stylistic approach to impress. It could be considered pretentious, but it’s not pretentious and Stapelton’s Pearl highlights this with her own brazen and embraced flaws, while the others failed to recognise theirs. They were snobs and weren’t aware. I like Joey’s character, so confused and lost and trying desperately to find some substance to what she is doing.

I really need to see HAHS again, and yes, Weist is the best thing about it for me. I was pleased when she won her first Oscar. The film does not come complete though for me and just like what you have quoted Kael commenting on. I think Allen’s mix of comedy and drama was more finely attuned with C&M’s and this film grabs me.

Knowing your taste Mr. Dirty, I think you would find Sleeper delightful. I just recall having more belly laughs with L&D.