Word: allene
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Director-screenwriter Woody Allen and co-writer Douglas McGrath have comically and affectionately reimagined the archetypes of backstage dramas from the days when the New York theater was a robust and glamorous institution. They're all here, doing their best to bring David's neo- O'Neillian work to life: the wise, temporizing, desperately undercapitalized producer (Jack Warden); the aging ingenue (Tracey Ullman), complete with ill-tempered lapdog; the agreeably self-destructive leading man (Jim Broadbent); above all, the Great Lady of the Theater ("I don't play frumps or virgins"), portrayed by Dianne Wiest in a boldly swooping performance...
...there a deft little lesson here in how to distinguish raw genius from cautiously tutored craft? You bet there is. But Allen and McGrath also recognize how rude, disturbing and inconvenient greatness can be. And they grant gracious absolution to pretentious mediocrity, once it learns its place. Allen bathes his fable in a seductive, rosy light, grants everyone in the wonderful ensemble cast a comic high point, and gives us a film that combines impeccable craftsmanship and a basic exuberance that's been missing from his work for years...
...plain that Mort Sahl was, for his day, taking risks and doing a radically different brand of comedy. Legends like Woody Allen still pay him homage. He can play three weeks at the Pudding, and then on to Broad way precisely because he was astounding and has a following that remembers him so. Sadly enough, like many trailblazers, his genius just doesn't translate to the next generation. Maybe we are spoiled by sound bites and the manic energy of today's comics, but watching an old guy prattle on for an hour-and-a-half is what boosts...
...WOODY ALLEN...
Cambridge school volunteers and several other organizations, including the Phillips Brooks House Association, worked together to define the needs of Cambridge youth, Allen and Golden said...