<--Who gave this guy a camera? Seriously!?
I recently saw two distinctly different Woody Allen films. The first, entitled Bananas, is one of his older projects (cerca 1971), and one which he wrote, directed, and starred in. The second was Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was just released on DVD, currently has a pending Oscar nomination, and was written and direct by Allen. Now, these are two VERY different films, but I wanted to spend a moment reflecting on each of them, and on the pictured man himself.
Bananas:
This film was shown in my history class on Wednesday for basically no reason whatsoever. It really has no educational value and only marginally relates to the subject we're currently studying (Latin American-US relations in the 20th Century)... but that doesn't matter, I found out. I suppose this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to second-semester-senior pastimes. Bananas is paraphrased wonderfully by IMDb, much more succinctly than I could manage:
Other than a few not-so-hidden message about the US government and some wonderfully dysfunctional relationship scenes (SO hilarious, by the way), the film is entertaining, but not much more. Still, it was a fun way to spend an entire block period at school! Overall, I thought it was a classic example of Allen's quirky and off-the-beaten-path style, one which I recognized from other films of his, such as Annie Hall.
Vicky Christina Barcelona:
As this film shows, Allen has really mellowed out in the last thirty years. This film, like other more recent projects (such as Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra's Dream) still has its funny moments, but is more focused on the drama. Perhaps it's because Allen is no longer starring in his own films as much (can he not get anyone to be as silly as him on camera? O.o), or perhaps he's simply found a more serious edge with age - the guy is over 70!
Vicky Christina Barcelona tells the story of two friends (named Vicky and Christina, whatddyaknow?) who travel to, you guessed it, Barcelona. There, they become - ahem - involved with a man named Juan Antonio. I'll just let IMDb explain it, because I'm already feeling myself getting wordy with a synopsis:
As I was sitting down under the impression that I was about to watch a charming film about people in Spain (not knowing or forgetting that it was a Woody Allen project), I was jarringly surprised as it begun. As with all his films, Allen takes the casual filmmaker, and shakes him/her awake. The film is narrated by a nasal-y bland male voice, more like an audiobook than anything else. At first, my mind was saying "wtf?" - it's not at all what I was used to in a film. But as I let myself go, telling myself, "Dude, it's Woody Allen, just see where it goes," I began to enjoy the film more and more.
The dialogue was extremely interesting. It was an odd mix of extremely fakey and a little too real. Something about the way characters would keep talking or say a bit too much was, first of all, not at all like a typical screenplay, and second, possibly more like we talk in real life? Whichever, Woody Allen seemed to be taking the age old addage "Show, don't tell," and shoving his middle finger in its face. Almost everything happened through dialogue, and the settings - despite being absolutely beautiful shots of Spain - became mere backdrops.
And then there's the content. The tagline for the film is "Life is the ultimate work of art," which, aside from being something I really like, gives you an idea of Allen's next iconic influence. It was filmed with musings and attempts to definte life, love, happiness, relationships, and any other "big idea" ideas he could possibly come up with. Unlike Bananas, this felt like a film that had a lot more in it than I could grasp in one viewing.
So, there you have it, very different films, which brings me to a few thoughts on the man himself...
Mister Woody Allen: (born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg, I just found out. *strokes beard* that's interesting...)
Though many of his films are not only "love 'em or hate 'em" but rather "Um, wtf?" I really admire Allen as a filmmaker. (Not so much as a person - the guy married his adopted daughter; that's just messed up). He's not afraid to have his own very distinct voice, and to constantly let it permeate absolutely everything he does. You never walk out of a Woody Allen film wondering who directed it. And that drive to let your true voice shows through takes gumption. So, hats off to you, sir - keep making those uniquely interesting/funny/strange/dramatic films of yours.
P.S. It's a new month - the second of the not-so-new year! I blogged 13 times in January. While that's good, I hope to keep it up and even find time for more! Thanks for reading!
I recently saw two distinctly different Woody Allen films. The first, entitled Bananas, is one of his older projects (cerca 1971), and one which he wrote, directed, and starred in. The second was Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was just released on DVD, currently has a pending Oscar nomination, and was written and direct by Allen. Now, these are two VERY different films, but I wanted to spend a moment reflecting on each of them, and on the pictured man himself.
Bananas:
This film was shown in my history class on Wednesday for basically no reason whatsoever. It really has no educational value and only marginally relates to the subject we're currently studying (Latin American-US relations in the 20th Century)... but that doesn't matter, I found out. I suppose this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to second-semester-senior pastimes. Bananas is paraphrased wonderfully by IMDb, much more succinctly than I could manage:
When a bumbling New Yorker is dumped by his activist girlfriend, he travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion.But, see, that doesn't even really cover it. The film is in Allen's classical "What did I just see?" style. It's funny, to be sure, but in a way that makes you wonder if Candid Cameras are filming you as you watch. Case in point: amidst a classically set up court room scene, the camera pans across the jury, passing normal suited men and women, only to glance over one man who happens to be drinking out of a fishbowl. Waa-huh? Weird, right?
Other than a few not-so-hidden message about the US government and some wonderfully dysfunctional relationship scenes (SO hilarious, by the way), the film is entertaining, but not much more. Still, it was a fun way to spend an entire block period at school! Overall, I thought it was a classic example of Allen's quirky and off-the-beaten-path style, one which I recognized from other films of his, such as Annie Hall.
Vicky Christina Barcelona:
As this film shows, Allen has really mellowed out in the last thirty years. This film, like other more recent projects (such as Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra's Dream) still has its funny moments, but is more focused on the drama. Perhaps it's because Allen is no longer starring in his own films as much (can he not get anyone to be as silly as him on camera? O.o), or perhaps he's simply found a more serious edge with age - the guy is over 70!
Vicky Christina Barcelona tells the story of two friends (named Vicky and Christina, whatddyaknow?) who travel to, you guessed it, Barcelona. There, they become - ahem - involved with a man named Juan Antonio. I'll just let IMDb explain it, because I'm already feeling myself getting wordy with a synopsis:
Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.Okay, that sounds like a fine and dandy plot, but it's the actors who really made it come to life. Picture Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, and Penelope Cruz all being equal parts charming and neurotic. Now that's entertainment.
As I was sitting down under the impression that I was about to watch a charming film about people in Spain (not knowing or forgetting that it was a Woody Allen project), I was jarringly surprised as it begun. As with all his films, Allen takes the casual filmmaker, and shakes him/her awake. The film is narrated by a nasal-y bland male voice, more like an audiobook than anything else. At first, my mind was saying "wtf?" - it's not at all what I was used to in a film. But as I let myself go, telling myself, "Dude, it's Woody Allen, just see where it goes," I began to enjoy the film more and more.
The dialogue was extremely interesting. It was an odd mix of extremely fakey and a little too real. Something about the way characters would keep talking or say a bit too much was, first of all, not at all like a typical screenplay, and second, possibly more like we talk in real life? Whichever, Woody Allen seemed to be taking the age old addage "Show, don't tell," and shoving his middle finger in its face. Almost everything happened through dialogue, and the settings - despite being absolutely beautiful shots of Spain - became mere backdrops.
And then there's the content. The tagline for the film is "Life is the ultimate work of art," which, aside from being something I really like, gives you an idea of Allen's next iconic influence. It was filmed with musings and attempts to definte life, love, happiness, relationships, and any other "big idea" ideas he could possibly come up with. Unlike Bananas, this felt like a film that had a lot more in it than I could grasp in one viewing.
So, there you have it, very different films, which brings me to a few thoughts on the man himself...
Mister Woody Allen: (born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg, I just found out. *strokes beard* that's interesting...)
Though many of his films are not only "love 'em or hate 'em" but rather "Um, wtf?" I really admire Allen as a filmmaker. (Not so much as a person - the guy married his adopted daughter; that's just messed up). He's not afraid to have his own very distinct voice, and to constantly let it permeate absolutely everything he does. You never walk out of a Woody Allen film wondering who directed it. And that drive to let your true voice shows through takes gumption. So, hats off to you, sir - keep making those uniquely interesting/funny/strange/dramatic films of yours.
P.S. It's a new month - the second of the not-so-new year! I blogged 13 times in January. While that's good, I hope to keep it up and even find time for more! Thanks for reading!
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