This is among Allen's weakest films. It is poorly cast (not for a second did I buy Farrell as a worry-wort--it's almost like Allen specifically flipped the actors, trying to play them against type. It fails miserably.)
There are multiple conflicts that are introduced and never paid off. The payoffs that do happen are extremely predictable. This is a story for someone who'd never read any Greek tragedies or Shakespeare the way Allen's Match Point was a thriller for people who'd never read Crime and Punishment. In that film a character is even reading that book, if I remember correctly. In this one there's direct comments on the early Greek plays--as if Allen doesn't trust his audience to be able to make the connection on their own.
About the only positive thing I can say about Allen's choices on this one is that he had a gorgeous girl playing an actress who's playing a character that appears nude on stage and Allen doesn't show it. Any other director would have shown such a scene. Bravo to Allen for at least not being *that* cliché. Too bad he didn't carry through on the rest of the film.
Could have been a pip, but it's not even a blip on his career. This film will be completely forgotten in less than a year.
There are multiple conflicts that are introduced and never paid off. The payoffs that do happen are extremely predictable. This is a story for someone who'd never read any Greek tragedies or Shakespeare the way Allen's Match Point was a thriller for people who'd never read Crime and Punishment. In that film a character is even reading that book, if I remember correctly. In this one there's direct comments on the early Greek plays--as if Allen doesn't trust his audience to be able to make the connection on their own.
About the only positive thing I can say about Allen's choices on this one is that he had a gorgeous girl playing an actress who's playing a character that appears nude on stage and Allen doesn't show it. Any other director would have shown such a scene. Bravo to Allen for at least not being *that* cliché. Too bad he didn't carry through on the rest of the film.
Could have been a pip, but it's not even a blip on his career. This film will be completely forgotten in less than a year.