“You know, there’s great wisdom in jokes, Falk, really." - David Dobel (played by Woody Allen) in Anything Else.
The UK feels like the last place in the world to not yet grant a release to Rifkin's Festival, Woody Allen's 49th film. The film had its premiere in September 2020 at the San Sebastian Film Festival and has gradually opened in territories across the globe ever since, including his native USA earlier this year. For UK based fans like myself it means another agonising wait. As with his prior film (A Rainy Day in New York) I'm still debating whether or not to get a foreign DVD/Blu-Ray of Rifkin's Festival as there is still no news of a UK release. I was always grateful for Woody's prolific work rate but only in the last few years have I realised just how blessed we were to have a new film to look forward to each year.
All the outright lies, disproved allegations and hateful media coverage thrown his way haven't diminished Allen's resolve to continue working. At the age of 86 though it may well be that he prefers to stick to written works rather than on-location film shoots. Allen announced on Leonard Maltin's podcast that he had a new collection of short stories set to be published. He also has a new play that will hopefully go in to production in the near future and a new film (his 50th) that is due to start shooting in Paris later this year.
During the first lockdown in 2020, the publication of Woody Allen's autobiography 'Apropos of Nothing' was a godsend. A book that I'd dreamed about for years was finally in print. We also got the belated release of A Rainy Day in New York. It was hard to judge the film objectively after a two year wait, having been shelved by original distributor Amazon, who in effect chose to bow down to the aforementioned malicious gossip and smears that ignored basic facts and two thorough investigations that exonerated Allen 30 years ago. I was really glad to finally get to see the film but it had a lot of baggage to contend with, notably Rebecca Hall and disingenuous creep T*mothee Ch*lamet’s presence in the cast and their keenness to distance themselves from its writer/director and a project they had actively pursued a role in* as well as a hostile media which seemed determined to lambast the film. In spite of all that, it managed to be a surprising commercial success when audiences got a chance to see it. I need to give it a rewatch to see it with a more nuanced and less bitter view but I remember I liked the freeflowing episodic structure, almost like that of a Robert Altman film, the allusions to J.D. Salinger and Fellini's The White Sheik and there was a standout performance by Cherry Jones, one of several relatively brief but remarkable supporting turns that has often been showcased in Allen’s work.**
'Zero Gravity' is Woody Allen’s fifth collection of short stories, following on from 'Mere Anarchy' in 2007. I was somewhat surprised when a copy of the book that I had pre-ordered in advance from Blackwell's showed up through my letterbox in June (thanks guys) despite having a UK publication date of 4th August. They must have received advanced copies from the US (where it came out in early June). Unlike 'Apropos of Nothing', 'Zero Gravity' seems to have encountered relatively little pushback over its existence in print. It seems that the Cancel Culture mob will allow Allen to publish a collection of short, amusing stories but the idea of him publishing a memoir that corrects many falsehoods and addresses a widely misunderstood 30 year old controversy is completely unacceptable. As I mentioned before, the actions of Amazon and the mainstream media-sponsored hate campaign of M*a and R*nan Farrow have only furthered my determination to follow Woody's work. 'Zero Gravity' fortunately didn't face the same scrutiny or manufactured outrage that 'Apropos of Nothing' had. Perhaps people like the ignorant, lemming-like d*psh*ts at Hachette Publishing who staged a walkout over the original bookdeal only have problems with non-fiction works? Could it be that R*nan Farrow, Hachette Book Group and the mainstream media didn't like the idea of Allen countering many of the myths that have grown about him over time and revealing a less than flattering side of his main accuser M*a Farrow? Despite numerous allegations of abuse over the years and various accounts of (to put it mildly) inappropriate behaviour towards her offspring and adopted children it seems that she is beyond reproach.***
Allen is well versed in this sort of storytelling. Amusing episodes are scattered throughout his work. There was an anecdotal quality to his early stand-up comic routines and Allen has written for the New Yorker many times in the past, including some of the stories (called “casuals” by the publication) featured here. In his filmography this quality was at its best and perhaps most successfully woven in to the episodic tapestry of Radio Days (the film works gloriously as a series of reminiscences about childhood events), the faux-documentary/newsreel style of Zelig and the jigsaw-like structure of Deconstructing Harry. Oedipus Wrecks, his contribution to the 3 part anthology film New York Stories, was a throwaway idea that found a perfect outlet in a 40 minute short film. A lot of his early directorial work (Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex but Were Afraid to Ask) harkens back to the two reeler comedies of the silent era by the likes of Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy. Less successfully, Hollywood Ending's story of a washed up filmmaker struck by temporary blindness when he's given a chance at a comeback project felt very much like a short story expanded to feature length while To Rome with Love comes across like some dusted off, cast-aside ideas that were revived for a portmanteau flick when financing came through to make a film in Italy. As someone who enjoys some of Allen’s more light-hearted and ostensibly frothy offerings (Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Alice, Magic in the Moonlight)**** as well as his previous prose collections I was only too eager to read this new collection.
'Zero Gravity' is a joyful read. At a time where it feels like every story and concept has been stretched to breaking point by bestsellers that feel at least 100 pages too long, prolonged series on streaming services and "Cinematic Universes" and "World Building" (God, how I loathe those terms) in mainstream movies, this sort of concision, disciplined writing, craftsmanship and brevity is like a breath of fresh air. When I saw Wonder Wheel on the big screen I was astonished about the ease with which Allen was able to establish the main characters, locations and scenario within the first ten minutes when many of my other cinema trips around that time had me suffering through muddled storytelling, weak, disjointed characterisation and an inability to convey atmosphere or any tangible sense of the environment in which the film took place. Allen’s wordplay, love of absurd names and details, skittish nature, cultural leanings and ability to deftly weave in incidental surprises with effortless aplomb all come through in this collection. The snappy nature of the stories means that even the lesser entries in the collection never overstay their welcome and the next story is more than likely to have its own delights and confounding interludes.
Favourite stories:
'There is Nothing Like a Brain' in which a beverage stand worker sees his old college crush, who is attracted to intellectual types. She becomes interested in him after he gets hit with a frying pan during a burglary which causes synethesia, a condition that makes his brain produce extraordinary feats. In his case he is able to recall the dining habits of people throughout history.'Sorry, No Pets Allowed' in which a raunchy and promiscuous female popstar is subjected to a backlash and outrage when she states that she draws the line at animals. It's a nice swipe at Cancel Culture and PR-driven outrage in contemporary media and entertainment.
'Tails of Manhattan' chronicles a wealthy dentist who commits suicide after losing all of his savings in a Ponzi scheme and is reincarnated as a lobster, ending up on the menu in a luxurious Manhattan restaurant.
'You Can’t Go Home Again, and Here's Why' where a man allows a crew to shoot a film in his home on the understanding that he will be playing a pivotal acting role and doesn’t turn out quite like he hoped it would.
Allen chose the title ‘Zero Gravity’ to signify the lightweight and frivolous nature of the stories contained within but it strikes an unexpectedly profound and poignant note in its final tale. It's something of a cliché to glean autobiographical details from his work, often unfounded or greatly exaggerated, but 'Growing Up in Manhattan' certainly comes across that way. The story is an account of a young writer from Brooklyn, his failed first marriage, early career aspirations, love of Manhattan and what it symbolised to his younger self who enters a doomed affair with a free spirited Manhattanite. The ill-fated relationship comes to be a formative experience in his development as a writer, bringing knowledge, deeper themes and greater insight to his works as a playwright and humourist. I doubt the similarities with his own life story are coincidental. It could be seen as a charming offshoot of ‘Apropos of Nothing'. In a 1998 BBC interview Allen contemplated writing a novel and recently did confirm that he wrote one a while ago but it didn’t live up to his hopes for it. 'Growing Up in Manhattan' hints at what an Allen novel could be like and, who knows? He may yet surprise us.
Allen's recent statement about his determination to continue as a writer strikes a defiant and ultimately triumphant note:
“I am an author and no one can prevent me from writing, and therefore from working. It is the guarantee of my freedom and my independence.”
Allen and his work will never cease to be a source of inspiration for me in both my own life and my writing. I should get this quote framed and hung up on my wall.
In a podcast interview with Alec Baldwin on Instagram, Allen hinted that his directorial career may be coming to a close (at the age of 86, it's hard not to think that may be the case) and that his 50th feature, being filmed in France, may be his last but I hope there are many more published efforts still to look forward to.
* I'm boycotting the films of anyone who has denounced Allen and said they regret working with him, to appease the mob and (in their minds or at least their agents) not harm their own careers. Incidentally, Ch*lamet hasn't to my knowledge said anything against his Call Me By Your Name co-star and fellow blue blood Armie Hammer. It's spineless, ignorant, opportunistic, virtue-signalling narcissists like him that have all but destroyed mainstream American cinema.
** Other examples that come to mind, Max von Sydow in Hannah and Her Sisters, Elaine May in Small Time Crooks, Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Antonio Banderas in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.
*** Having now put out the thoroughly one-sided Allen vs Farrow documentary on HBO (another hit piece with selective memory and distorted details) they may finally have realised that they have exploited the topic for all its worth, at least until R*nan Farrow finds another opportunity to further his career and carry out his mother’s sworn vendetta to destroy Allen’s career and reputation. Has there yet been any backlash to Lena Dunham’s new directorial effort, Sharp Stick, being released given that Dunham has herself been a subject of controversy and allegations of molesting her younger sister? Or for that matter, David O. Russell's forthcoming Amsterdam? Russell seems to have got off pretty lightly for someone who has been accused of sexual misconduct by his own niece and has had numerous reported incidents of verbal and physical abuse towards cast and crew on his film sets.
**** Although it is framed as an inconsequential Jazz Age champagne comedy in a lush setting, Magic in the Moonlight strikes me as one of Allen’s deepest and most thoughtful films. One of several latter day efforts that still hasn’t got its due - see also Whatever Works, Irrational Man and Café Society. It's a shame that C*lin Firth decided to be one of the self-serving, disloyal rats who decided to express their “regret” about working with Allen. His presence now sadly tarnishes what I consider to be one of my favourites of his work.
* I'm boycotting the films of anyone who has denounced Allen and said they regret working with him, to appease the mob and (in their minds or at least their agents) not harm their own careers. Incidentally, Ch*lamet hasn't to my knowledge said anything against his Call Me By Your Name co-star and fellow blue blood Armie Hammer. It's spineless, ignorant, opportunistic, virtue-signalling narcissists like him that have all but destroyed mainstream American cinema.
** Other examples that come to mind, Max von Sydow in Hannah and Her Sisters, Elaine May in Small Time Crooks, Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Antonio Banderas in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.
*** Having now put out the thoroughly one-sided Allen vs Farrow documentary on HBO (another hit piece with selective memory and distorted details) they may finally have realised that they have exploited the topic for all its worth, at least until R*nan Farrow finds another opportunity to further his career and carry out his mother’s sworn vendetta to destroy Allen’s career and reputation. Has there yet been any backlash to Lena Dunham’s new directorial effort, Sharp Stick, being released given that Dunham has herself been a subject of controversy and allegations of molesting her younger sister? Or for that matter, David O. Russell's forthcoming Amsterdam? Russell seems to have got off pretty lightly for someone who has been accused of sexual misconduct by his own niece and has had numerous reported incidents of verbal and physical abuse towards cast and crew on his film sets.
**** Although it is framed as an inconsequential Jazz Age champagne comedy in a lush setting, Magic in the Moonlight strikes me as one of Allen’s deepest and most thoughtful films. One of several latter day efforts that still hasn’t got its due - see also Whatever Works, Irrational Man and Café Society. It's a shame that C*lin Firth decided to be one of the self-serving, disloyal rats who decided to express their “regret” about working with Allen. His presence now sadly tarnishes what I consider to be one of my favourites of his work.
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