•
Rating: I have been lurking on DeBaser for a while, browsing through the usual reviews and rarely revealing myself (my contributions are limited to a review of Gong, one of Inti Illimani, a youth monograph on "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," and a dozen late comments). The few albums and movies that excited me were already appropriately reviewed, and in any case, I didn't dare to destroy them. I had resigned myself, in short, to 'look but not touch,' when suddenly, scrolling through Woody Allen's filmography, I saw that "Bullets Over Broadway" was missing! Here was a golden opportunity, I thought to myself... even if I later wisely decided to waste it by sitting here and telling you the story of my life.
Let me preface by saying I adore Woody Allen, and I have seen a large part of his work. I am not part of the school of thought that considers Woody Allen of the nineties already 'washed-up,' but rather of the one that awards three stars (and enjoys) the unpretentious comedies ("Scoop," "Mighty Aphrodite," "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion") and four stars to more successful films like "Match Point," "Deconstructing Harry"... and "Bullets Over Broadway."
If we want to think in terms of 'genres,' "Bullets Over Broadway" is recommended for those who appreciated "Sweet and Lowdown": another portrait of an artist, another dive into the past, into the interwar America Woody loves. Compared to the latter, however, it distinguishes itself for the absence of the celebrated mockumentary structure in favor of a linear narrative and a more substantial screenplay. The setting is New York of '29: New York, indeed, of Gangsters and Broadway.
A young, idealistic, slightly bohemian author (John Cusack), after seeing his first two works falter in the hands of others, is determined to personally follow his latest comedy. The producer disagrees until a mob boss decides to finance the comedy to give a part to his woman, a chorus girl with lady-like pretensions but manners and voice like a fishmonger. Thus arises a typical contrasting situation, aptly portrayed by the title of the work, which guarantees a series of hilarious gags and jokes (like the boss jealously asking his Olive: «Who is this Hamlet? Does he live around here?»).
If you add to the Boss's girl an egocentric and histrionic star (Dianne West, Oscar winner), a sugar- and sex-craving actor, a half-crazy actress, and an unexpectedly extraordinary henchman of the boss, it's easy to imagine the atmosphere of the rehearsals, all described with frenzy, always on the brink of a nervous breakdown (as Allen and a few others can do). And at this point, when the film seems to be at a dead end, or at least on predictable tracks, parallel stories emerge that test the young author in what he holds most dear: love and art, meaning his woman and his comedy. I anticipate that of the two things he will save only one; but not without other surprises, more brilliant dialogues, and the most beautiful ending I have ever seen made by a 'washed-up' director.
Loading comments slowly
