American Masters - Woody Allen: A Documentary [television/film review]

Debuted on PBS in November 2011; now available on DVD and video on demand

Woody Allen: A Documentary premiered in late November as part of PBS's sterling American Masters series, now in its 25th season. The documentary, which aired over two nights and runs at three hours and twenty minutes, was directed by award-winning writer, director, and producer Robert B. Weide, probably best known for his work on TV's Curb Your Enthusiasm. It took 20 years of convincing from Weide to get the notoriously private Allen to participate in the ambitious project and his perseverance pays off big rewards, delivering revealing and candid interviews with the filmmaker that offer rare insight into his life and creative process. This obviously isn't the first documentary on the cultural icon: 2002's Woody Allen: A Life In Film and 1997's Wild Man Blues, the latter of which focussed on Allen's experiences touring with his jazz band, are both excellent pieces of work that also benefited from exclusive access to the filmmaker. Woody Allen: A Documentary, however, makes judicious use of its expansive running time to provide a wider scope, establishing itself now as the definitive visual document on the man, now 76, and his work.

The documentary's biographical background details about Allen's younger years are given extra emphasis by the fact that Allen himself takes viewers on a mini tour of significant landmarks from his time growing up in Brooklyn, such as his childhood home, school, and old movie theatres (and there's plenty of laughs to be had watching the double take reactions of pedestrians as Allen casually walks past them). One of the most fascinating and charming parts of the film is derived from an unlikely source: Allen's ancient Olympia typewriter. Allen reveals the stunning fact that he's used the same machine to type every piece of work he's created since 1952, when he purchased it (Allen recalls that the salesman told him "it would be around long after my death"). Word processors? Pshaw! Significant edits to his copy, always typed on lined paper from yellow legal pads, are done with a pair of scissors and stapler. It's personal insights such as these that Weide accesses which go a long way in humanizing the withdrawn, enigmatic visage that Allen has developed over his career.

Allen, born Allen Konigsberg, began his show business career as a young teen, submitting jokes to various print publications in New York City. Gifted with a sharp wit and a prolific talent that saw him regularly churning out as many as 50-100 jokes daily (and, even to this day, having a remarkable knack for avoiding creative roadblocks), he achieved quick success as a humourist, pulling in more money than both of his parents by the time he was just 16. Allen's young adult years found him embarking on a successful career as a stand-up comic that mined his trademark neurotic persona for laughs, which led him to becoming a staple on TV talk and variety shows. In 1966, he directed his first feature film, What's Up, Tiger Lily? (which he also wrote, and acted in), insisting on complete creative control following the headaches he experienced with meddling studio execs and thin-skinned actors on his first foray into cinema as a screenwriter and actor on the previous year's What's New, Pussycat?. Since then, Allen has written and directed (and frequently acted in) an astonishing 41 feature films, which includes this year's upcoming Nero Fiddled. That's a clock-like productivity of at least one movie a year since 1982 (two came out in 1987), with an occasional short segment as part of various collaborative films contributed along the way. Naturally, not all of these efforts are gems, and Allen's uneven output over the past 10-15 years is addressed by himself, his peers, and critics. Poorly received works such as Everybody Says I Love You and Anything Else receive specific mention, but they also could have included the recent abysmal Larry David-starring Anything Else?, which I consider the worst film Allen's ever put out. One of the central storylines in that movie sees David's character, who is in his sixties and essentially an extension of the characters (or, one could argue, singular character) Allen himself regularly plays in his movies, dating Evan Rachel Wood's character, who is about 35-40 years younger. It's a recurring (and creepy) theme in Allen's work and I'd have like the documentary to have broached the topic of this curious predilection of his. It's especially eyebrow-raising in light of the 1992 scandal he went through with Soon-Yi Previn, his current wife and the then 22-year-old stepdaughter of former partner and muse, Mia Farrow. The scandal receives more coverage than I expected from A Documentary, but Allen's facetious statement that he was surprised at how much media coverage it received is somewhat off-putting.

Even in a lengthy doc such as this, Allen's filmography is so expansive that it's difficult for Weide to get too in-depth about specific movies, save for some of Allen's high-water marks, like Annie Hall and Manhattan. Many, even standouts such as the recent Cassandra's Dream, are barely (if at all) commented on. Most of the filmmaker's work is at least represented via film clips, which Weide uses liberally and effectively. Midnight In Paris, Allen's most recent release and now his most commercially successful film ever, is briefly touched upon, but the film that gets some of the most screen time is its so-so predecessor, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. It was being shot while Weide was putting together A Documentary, so Allen gave Weide exclusive access to the film's London set, the first time in his career that Allen has given any outside media that privilege. Interviews with cast members Josh Brolin and Naomi Watts, as well as interviews throughout the film with a bevy of previous Allen players, including Chris Rock, Penélope Cruz, Mariel Hemingway, Sean Penn, Dianne Wiest, John Cusack, Dianne Keaton, and Scarlett Johansson revisit their experiences working for the filmmaker (I personally have wondered why Allen has employed the wooden Johansson as his lead in four of his last seven films - she says the pair just "clicked" when they first worked together on 2005's Match Point). Discussed are his directing style (he gives minimal guidance), oddball casting process (initiated with a self-effacing feeler letter to the actor), and the recurring theme of hugely successful actors doubting whether or not they're up to the challenge and prestige of working for Allen. A wealth of interviews with film critics and Allen's contemporaries, as well as his creative and business partners, further round out Weide's rich portrait of the iconic throwback.

Woody Allen: A Documentary is essential viewing for Allen buffs and cinephiles. In fact, I'd go as far to say it's downright superlative and probably the best thing I watched in 2011.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

New Springsteen single plays it safe...

Bruce Springsteen's newest single is called "We Take Care Of Our Own" and just hit the internet a few hours ago. It's a solid, if safe, choice as the lead track for his latest album with the E Street Band (and apparently a number of outside musicians) titled Wrecking Ball, which comes out March 6th. The tail end of the song appears to have some sax in it, although it's pretty buried in the mix. This brings up the obvious question of whether it's the work of late E Street Band member Clarence Clemons. It should be interesting to hear and see how Clemons' huge absence (literally and figuratively) will affect the sound and performance of the band, both on the album and on their upcoming tour.

A recent article on the Hollywood Reporter's website mentioned Wrecking Ball was Springsteen's "angriest" album yet. "We Take Care Of Our Own" doesn't really point to that, but it's only one track. Rollingstone.com has some interesting comments from longtime Springsteen manager Jon Landau about the album.

Judge for yourself below. This isn't the official video, just still pics and lyrics:

Where has the funny gone in comedy films?

Reading some of the "best of the year" lists a few weeks back, I was amazed that the comedic films Bridesmaids and Crazy, Stupid, Love had such a prominent place on them. The fact that two films I found completely forgettable seem to be held in such high regard just baffles me and had me temporarily second-guessing my own funny bone. This got me looking back at the comedies I saw over the last year, which ultimately left me shocked at how few had any merit. I could think of a single comedy that entertained me - Horrible Bosses, and even that was only just okay.

Crazy, Stupid Love is as much of a romance as a comedy, but it isn't successful in either of those genres, wasting a good cast on the derivative screenplay. Other comedies I saw from 2011 that dropped the ball: Hall Pass, Your Highness, Meet Monica Velour, The Dilemna (Vince Vaughan is now comfortably ensconced in Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker territory, where nearly all their comedic roles are completely interchangeable from one film to the next), Paul, The Beaver, Super (which I reviewed after seeing it at TIFF in 2010), Our Idiot Brother, Bad Teacher, and Cedar Rapids. The worst? No question - The Hangover Part II, which was not just the worst comedy I saw last year, it was the worst movie, period, and one of the most egregious examples of a shameless Hollywood cash grab I've ever seen. I literally laughed more watching The King's Speech.

Bridesmaids' popularity, in particular, is mystifying. RottenTomatoes.com indicates that the movie got an impressive 90% favourable rating from the professional critical reviews they compiled, and Entertainment Weekly magazine has practically fallen over themselves heaping praise on the movie since it was released in the summer. Now, I love EW, but they do have a habit of latching onto specific TV shows, movies, or actors that they worship, and shoving them down our throats. Their love-in with Bridesmaids has been downright embarrassing, though. Critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum, whose writing I highly respect and who I've been reading for years, amazingly listed Bridesmaids number three and two, respectively, on their ten best films of the year. Schwarzbaum writes that "the story has integrity, originality, and a sharp intelligence". Really? Because I found it to be little more than an occasionally amusing lark. Personally, I didn't find a script that lazily would make it appear that there was one single police officer working in the entire city of Milwaukee to be terribly intelligent. Gleiberman hails the performance of Kristen Wiig, the film's star (and co-writer), as "the best performance by an actress this year". Wiig is talented, but that is simply a ludicrous statement from someone who views pretty much every single notable film release over the course of a year. Bridesmaids co-star Melissa McCarthy, the plus size star of the terrible TV show Mike & Molly, has also been a lightning rod of dubious over-attention from the magazine, appearing on the cover multiple times and garnering huge praise for her role in the film, which they think is actually deserving of an Oscar nomination. And they'd have their readers believe that her October Saturday Night Live hosting appearance was the funniest 90 minutes in television history...it was not.

May 2012 bring us more laughs at the movies.

The Ides Of March [film review]

Released theatrically in October 2011; released on DVD and Blu-ray today

George Clooney assembles a powerhouse cast for The Ides Of March, his fourth directorial effort and by far his strongest outing yet, which is admittedly faint praise when you consider that short list includes Leatherheads, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, and Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney takes a surprisingly small supporting role as Mike Morris, a U.S. governor campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the American presidential race. Outstanding performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, as competing campaign managers, offset additionally excellent work from Marisa Tomei as a New York Times reporter, Jeffrey Wright as an influential senator, and Evan Rachel Wood as a flirty campaign intern who suddenly finds herself as an important cog in Morris' political destiny. Ryan Gosling is the film's main star, adding another impressive performance to his acting resume as Stephen Meyers, the idealistic press secretary for Morris' campaign. Meyers' charisma and smarts have served him well, as he finds himself on the political operative fast track at the relatively young age of 30.

The film, adapted by Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon from Willimon's 2008 play Farragut North, is set just before an Ohio Democratic presidential primary, capturing a brief three day period in the ridiculously drawn out and bloated election process that one must undertake in pursuit of being the leader of the free world. Morris is a thinly veiled Barack Obama archetype: highly intelligent, articulate, charming, and espousing high-minded ideals that promise a new style of politics. Morris even has campaign posters that unabashedly echo Shepard Fairey's iconic "Hope" poster from Obama's 2008 campaign, with the word "Believe" substituted instead. Sexual intrigue, paranoia, cutthroat political strategizing, tests of loyalty, and media spin are all key elements in the story, lifting the curtain for a fascinating view into a fast moving world that would rather you not see how the sausage was made.

The movie does take an unfortunately jarring separation away from reality, though, when Morris declares during a debate, "I am not a Christian or an atheist...my religion is written on a piece of paper called the Constitution...if you think I'm not religious enough, don't vote for me". That ambitious dialogue just doesn't ring true when you consider the overly important role that a powder keg issue like religion continues to play in American politics. Similarly, Morris' blunt response to a question from journalist Charlie Rose on capital punishment seemed highly implausible. These, along with the disappointing closing scene of the film (that doesn't deliver nearly the impact you expect Clooney intended) are the very few missteps that The Ides Of March makes, however.

Viewers who aren't political junkies shouldn't shy away from seeing this film, even if there are scattered moments throughout it where some of the politi-speak might elude their grasps (I got briefly lost a few times, cursing myself that my years of religiously watching The Daily Show and seven seasons of The West Wing didn't instill a better knowledge of the American political system). Any of the scenes involving Hoffman (at his dismissive, cantankerous best) and Giamatti (weaselness personified) are reason alone to watch The Ides Of March, which I feel has one of the best ensemble cast performances I've seen in recent memory. Gosling's exceptional work just feels like icing on the cake.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆

New Van Halen underwhelms (and what's with those opening acts?)...

The new Van Halen single titled "Tattoo" was released last week, ahead of the early February release of A Different Kind Of Truth, which is the band's first studio album with original vocalist David Lee Roth since he split in 1985 (he returned briefly to contribute vocals to a couple of decent tracks on Van Halen's 1996 Best Of Volume I compilation album). Frankly, I'm amazed that new material from the outfit is finally going to see the light of day. First off, I anticipated a spectacular implosion of the repaired relationship between Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen during their 2007-2008 reunion tour, but the pair managed to keep their massive egos in check for the greater good of their fans, the band's legacy, and their bank accounts (it was their most successful tour ever). Secondly, Edward, the band's creative engine, appears to have developed an obsessive Axl Rose-like habit of having a hard time letting go of songs, where they progress from "works in progress" to "completed" tracks. Former vocalist Sammy Hagar said as much in his great autobiography from last year, Red, and God knows I've read seemingly dozens of stories over the years since the band's last studio album in 1998 (the ill-fated Gary Cherone era) stating that the guitarist was hard at work recording new material. Along with Ed's eccentricities and this band's dysfunctional history with singers, a further contributing factor to Van Halen's stagnation have been the numerous health scares the iconic guitarist has encountered over the past decade or so (addictions, cancer, and muscle/joint issues).

If I may employ a cheesy metaphor, "Tattoo" feels more like a stick-on than the real thing when it comes to making an impression on the listener. A solid guitar solo and fine vocal performance can't make up for the deficient and forgettable verse and chorus sections that sound like material from Roth's dodgy post-Skyscraper solo career. The song's half-assed performance video, complete with occasionally badly lip synced vocals and unimaginative backwards video effects, doesn't help. Seriously guys? This is the grand statement you decide to unleash on the world after so many inactive years and such huge anticipation for new material? Wow. The presence of Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass only adds to my apathy for A Different Kind Of Truth. Good on the kid (now 19 years old) for having the poise and chops to handle playing bass in a band this huge, but he just seems out of place and can't fill the shoes of original bassist Michael Anthony who, among the many strengths he brought to the band, was such a huge part of the signature backing vocals sound of the group.

Finally, what's the deal with the acts that Van Halen are picking to open their shows? Ky-Mani Marley, a reggae/dancehall artist (and Bob Marley's son) opened nearly all of the dates on their '07-'08 tour, with a soul artist named Ryan Shaw filling in for the remainder of the shows. Puzzling decisions, to be sure. Now comes the announcement last week that for their upcoming 2012 world tour, the band has picked Kool & The Gang to open a number of shows. That'd be the same Kool & The Gang known for those hard rock classics such as "Joanna", "Fresh", and "Cherish". I've seen some twisted logic used over the years in the music industry, but this one ranks up there with some of the most head-scratching examples. I'd have been less surprised if Chickenfoot, who are probably as persona non grata to the Van Halen camp as it gets, received the bloody nod!