I'm gonna be honest here. This was my first Woody Allen film. I don't know why I haven't ever seen any of his films before now, but I suspect its something like the 40 Year Old Virgin. It just never happened, and I gave up trying. Well, not really. I never really tried, but it just didn't happen. So this was my Woody Allen cherry, and I must say that I was entertained, but underwhelmed.I know this isn't one of his classics like Annie Hall, but there were some high expectations and in the end I found this movie to just be okay. What we have here is a number of stories involving, relating to, or stemming from classic radio broadcasts. The main character is played by a young Seth Green and he is the child version of Woody, who is the narrator. We get stories about his favorite shows, his family's favorite shows, and even stories about the performers on the show. The stories are interwoven with each other and each one is pretty entertaining by itself, but as a whole, I'm not sure that there was much of a point to the film other than Woody being able to tell a bunch of short stories he had rolling around in his head.
I will say that even with all that, the performances were very good and it's clear that everyone had a good time working on this movie. It's quite an ensemble cast and everyone really fit their roles quite well. I wish I could give examples, but since I am still catching up on my reviews and watched this a while ago, I don't remember that many details. I think that speaks for how memorable this movie was. Remember, I didn't hate it, but it wasn't that great.
So there, I have busted my Woody Allen cherry, and I am certain that it has to get better than this. I guess I was a little nervous. Or maybe I was too excited. I didn't finish the movie early, and it certainly wasn't over as soon as I started, but there was an overwhelming feeling of "eh...". I guess I just need more practice watching Woody Allen movies and they'll get better. I swear. I could even watch two in one night. Maybe even three, but I'd have to really be in the right mood. I'm thinking it's not a good sign for the movie when my review is more about me watching the movie, and not the movie itself. Oh well.
1 comment:
Radio Days was an atypical Allen movie, from my point of view. I enjoyed it, but it's not "Woody" in the classic sense.
Of course, I'm not that big a fan of Allen, although I really enjoy Hannah And Her Sisters, and *most* of The Purple Rose Of Cairo. The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion was also good, as was Mighty Aphrodite, and, of course, Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask.
You might guess from this list that I like Allen's comedies. That's true. His drama doesn't do much for me, but that's just me.
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