Woody Allen movies - the good, the bad and the fugly
Allen makes on average a movie every year. Most stink. Some shine brightly. Here are all the ones I've seen recently enough to rate, arranged from best to worst and rated from 1-10.
List activity
52 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
14 titles
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsMartin LandauWoody AllenBill BernsteinAn ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.Easily the strongest of Allen's wholly serious movies, this film explores morality without preaching, and features some terrific acting performances and memorable scenes, such as when the protagonist talks at length to his rabbi. 9/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsCate BlanchettAlec BaldwinPeter SarsgaardA New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.The best Allen film in nearly 20 years, and the best of his serious movies in nearly 25. A slightly disappointing ending, but a very watchable film with a breathtaking central performance and excellent support cast. 8/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.A film that combines subtle, referential humour with a philosophical, introspective wit, and great romantic themes. And in Michael Sheen's character, one of the great portrayals of a pseudo intellectual. 8/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMira SorvinoPamela BlairWhen he discovers his adopted son is a genius, a New York sportswriter seeks out the boy's birth mother: a ditzy porn star and prostitute.A superb comedy, with strong acting and a delightful script. Favourite moment: when Allen gestures for the apparition from the Greek tragedy to pass him a pen. 8/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsRebecca HallScarlett JohanssonJavier BardemTwo friends 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.A movie that really surprised me. I watched it expecting it to be one of his flops, but it might well be one of the best comedies he's made. 8/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonJerry AdlerA middle-aged couple suspects foul play when their neighbor's wife suddenly drops dead.Miles better than the 1979 movie with which it shares part of it's name, the full range of classic Allen themes, such as disintegrating relationships, are explored, but this time with a suspenseful and interesting plot through which they can be showcased. 7/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsScarlett JohanssonHugh JackmanJim DunkAn American journalism student in London scoops a big story, and begins an affair with an aristocrat as the incident unfurls.An interesting film in that it blends comedic elements with darker themes, and the cast performs better than perhaps is expected. 7/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsScarlett JohanssonJonathan Rhys MeyersEmily MortimerAt a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.Maintains the viewer's interest through til the end but ultimately perhaps a little too bleak and grisly. An example of a director trying to break type and succeeding too well. 6/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsColin FarrellEwan McGregorHayley AtwellThe tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go badly and the two become enemies.Some very good acting (by two actors I don't generally rate that much), a decent score by Philip Glass, and a suspenseful plot, but an unsatisfying ending, given the moral twists that precede it. 6/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsEvan Rachel WoodLarry DavidHenry CavillA middle-aged, misanthropic divorcé from New York City surprisingly enters a fulfilling, Pygmalion-type relationship with a much younger, unsophisticated Southern girl.As a big Larry David fan, I was surprised to see a performance from him that was different enough from 'Curb...' to maintain a believable character, whilst similar enough not to unsettle. Not the best comedy Allen's made, but worth seeing. 6/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonJohn BeckA nerdish store owner is revived out of cryostasis into a future world to fight an oppressive government.Has a few profound and funny moments but mostly it's more style than substance, and a bit of a waste of time. 4/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenPenélope CruzJesse EisenbergThe lives of some visitors and residents of Rome and the romances, adventures and predicaments they get into.In a similar way to 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger', this movie is just missing enough ingredients to really make it work. Jesse Eisenberg is particularly weak. Only worth watching if you're a Penelope Cruz fan. 4/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonMariel HemingwayThe life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.I don't see why so many people think this is a masterpiece. I found it overall quite boring. 4/10
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsAnthony HopkinsNaomi WattsJosh BrolinSally's parents' marriage breaks up when her father undergoes a mid-life crisis and impulsively weds a prostitute. Meanwhile, Sally's own marriage also begins to disintegrate.A good example of a movie that falls short on every angle: script, acting and ambience are all sub-par, and don't quite add up. Hopkins in particular is very bad. 4/10