With you it’s all nihilism, cynicism, sarcasm, and orgasm!

Deconstructing Harry
Image via Wikipedia

This post began as a comment to Jim Groom’s “Broadway Danny Rose” article on bavatuesdays. Since I am too much of a Woody Allen’s lover, Jim’s post intrigued me quite much, and I felt driven to write about it and about two of my favorite Allen’s movies.

Jim of course is right. Broadway Danny Rose is one of Woody’s best movies, and Crimes & Misdemeanors one of his deepest. I cannot say which of his films shows the best portrait of New York, so I will trust his judgement and watch the movie again. But I’d like to propose two newer of his films as absolute achievements: Deconstructing Harry and Everyone Says I Love You.

First, Deconstructing Harry portrays one hell of a character! And is a very accomplished movie: clean, such bright dialogues, so beautiful & human characters! The story is genial in its simplicity, and  literary references hang over it…

Laugh a bit with this scene: do you remember the guy with chest pain? “You should get an ambulance!”

And this? “You have no values. With you it’s all nihilism, cynicism, sarcasm, and orgasm.”

Second, the movie I absolutely unconditionally love: Everyone Says I Love You. Why? Because it is light and the story so well told you lose yourself in it! And you feel yourself at the Ritz in Paris while those beautiful people are having a Groucho Marx ball!

Remember Goldie Hawn singing and dancing “I’m through with love”?

, a scene which is so uncharacteristic of Woody… and such a tribute to cinema and the Hollywood Musical!

And finish with Woody’s last touch to his manipulation game with Julia Roberts…

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

About Antonio Vantaggiato

Professor, web2.0 enthusiast, and didactic chef.
This entry was posted in films, media and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to With you it’s all nihilism, cynicism, sarcasm, and orgasm!

  1. Pingback: On This Day | bavatuesdays

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *