Woody Allen: A Documentary
- Episode aired Nov 20, 2011
- Not Rated
- 3h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
A documentary on Woody Allen that trails him on his movie sets and follows him back to Brooklyn as he visits his childhood haunts.A documentary on Woody Allen that trails him on his movie sets and follows him back to Brooklyn as he visits his childhood haunts.A documentary on Woody Allen that trails him on his movie sets and follows him back to Brooklyn as he visits his childhood haunts.
Photos
Charles H. Joffe
- Self
- (archive footage)
Storyline
Did you know
- Alternate versionsPBS Version (3 hours in two parts)
- ConnectionsFeatured in Moving Pictures: J G Ballard (1990)
- SoundtracksIf I Had a Hammer
Written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays
Heard on soundtrack during Greenwich Village sequence
Performed by Peter Paul & Mary
Featured review
A revealing and entertaining portrayal
When the history of cinema is written a hundred years from now, Woody Allen's name will pop up quite a few times. Actor. Writer. Director. Comedian. The quintessential Jewish-American man. From Seinfeld characters to Family Guy to The Simpsons, so much of American pop culture is littered with characters based off the persona that Allen immortalised.
But in Woody Allen: A Documentary, documentarian Robert B. Weide seeks to get inside the mind of this endlessly parodied, forcibly stereotyped individual. Allen is his usual self-deprecating Jewish-American self, but it's the supporting cast – Diane Keaton, Naomi Watts, Scarlett Johansson, et al. – who really paint the best picture. We learn about Allen's directing techniques; what made him such a magnetic 'leading man'; and how his personal life affected (or didn't, really) his professional life.
As all movie fans will know, Allen is responsible for some of the greatest movies of the modern era. Annie Hall is constantly cited as a great Hollywood classic, as are other accomplishments like Hannah And Her Sisters and Manhattan. The documentary moves chronologically through his back catalogue, discussing his intentions about each movie, the filmmaking process, and the critical reception. You listen to the cast, his family, and Allen himself discuss just how much of himself was present in his movies. What I loved most about the film is that it doesn't pander to Allen. Yes, this is a documentary about the man, so it does celebrate his brilliance as an artist. But Weide doesn't hold back in exploring the mistakes he made, both in his personal and professional life. In particular, his relationship with cinematic muse Mia Farrow is chronicled, painting Woody as a very conflicted and somewhat selfish man.
What you take away from this documentary is appreciation for what Allen has achieved, and what he has brought to modern cinema. To continue to beat to his own drum at a time when studios have pigeonholed directors so much is admirable, especially when he's making one film a year. It's so easy (and so romantic) to see cinema as an artform. Woody Allen shows that it is a skill, a technique constantly being honed. Good stuff.
But in Woody Allen: A Documentary, documentarian Robert B. Weide seeks to get inside the mind of this endlessly parodied, forcibly stereotyped individual. Allen is his usual self-deprecating Jewish-American self, but it's the supporting cast – Diane Keaton, Naomi Watts, Scarlett Johansson, et al. – who really paint the best picture. We learn about Allen's directing techniques; what made him such a magnetic 'leading man'; and how his personal life affected (or didn't, really) his professional life.
As all movie fans will know, Allen is responsible for some of the greatest movies of the modern era. Annie Hall is constantly cited as a great Hollywood classic, as are other accomplishments like Hannah And Her Sisters and Manhattan. The documentary moves chronologically through his back catalogue, discussing his intentions about each movie, the filmmaking process, and the critical reception. You listen to the cast, his family, and Allen himself discuss just how much of himself was present in his movies. What I loved most about the film is that it doesn't pander to Allen. Yes, this is a documentary about the man, so it does celebrate his brilliance as an artist. But Weide doesn't hold back in exploring the mistakes he made, both in his personal and professional life. In particular, his relationship with cinematic muse Mia Farrow is chronicled, painting Woody as a very conflicted and somewhat selfish man.
What you take away from this documentary is appreciation for what Allen has achieved, and what he has brought to modern cinema. To continue to beat to his own drum at a time when studios have pigeonholed directors so much is admirable, especially when he's making one film a year. It's so easy (and so romantic) to see cinema as an artform. Woody Allen shows that it is a skill, a technique constantly being honed. Good stuff.
helpful•101
- jafar-iqbal
- Nov 6, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Woody Allen: El documental
- Filming locations
- Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France(Allen attending with Josh Brolin and others.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime3 hours 12 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 1.78 : 1
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