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TAKE THE $ AND RUN- Technically inept, but some very funny gags.
BANANAS- Classic, and the flirtation with saying something political showed a promise fulfilled in SLEEPER
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED- Essentially a riff on film, not sex. Demonstrates he had figured out how to make a polished piece.
SLEEPER- Brilliant social satire, a mode he doesn't work in often enough.
LOVE AND DEATH- A wet dream for English undergrads
ANNIE HALL- A misunderstood film. It's brutally cynical. An anti-romance. Shockingly well written and directed.
INTERIORS- Moving in parts, but Allen ain't no Bergman. All the actors shine despite the soggy material. And this might be the point to mention how, with very few exceptions, the performances in his films are excellent.
MANHATTEN- About as romantic as a movie can get, from the look to the soundtrack to the climax of Allen running to his true love.
STARDUST MEMORIES- There are about a million filmic ideas in this one, only about a forth of which are Allen's. I like it, but I can easily see how anyone would loath it.
MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT- Light and breezy enough. A mash up of several other sources (Renoir, Chekhov, Bergman). It's interesting to note that despite Allen's professed athieism, magic and the supernatural pop up in his films a lot.
ZELIG- Breathtaking. Painstakingly complex technically, pretty simple thematically.
BROADWAY DANNY ROSE- Chris Rock's favorite comedy! It's essentially a film about ethics, a topic Allen loves to explore in films. Whether he explores the topic in real life is up for debate.
PURPLE ROSE- Simply one of his best.
HANNAH- Tolstoy in New York. How Allen managed to create AND develop so many characters is a testament to his powers when he puts them to full use. And damn near every beautiful shot could be put on a wall.
RADIO DAYS- Full steam ahead into nostalgia. With so many characters and plot threads and gags, some fail, some are a knockout. A breezy little flick.
SEPTEMBER- If autumnal colors get you off, keep a box of Kleenex handy. Not one single joke. I'd kill to see this on a stage. As a film, eh.
ANOTHER WOMAN- More involved than September, but still in full drama mode. Gena Rolands has perhaps never been better.
"Oedipus Wrecks"- A return to his "early, funny ones." Harmless fun and not at all insulting.
CRIMES- His masterpiece. He'll never top this one. All his great themes are here; the characters are delicious; the conclusion is terrifying.
ALICE- Again, magic pops up. And let's here acknowledge how fucking funny Mia can be.
SHADOWS- The first sign of big trouble. His early play, DEATH, is stretched way too thin. Looks cool, and it's fun to play "name the very famous actor," but otherwise really boring.
HUSBANDS AND WIVES- Pitch black comedy. God, some scenes in this one HURT. I love it, even if the pseudo-documntary thing doesn't always work (how'd the camera capture a sex scene?) Judy Davis is a force of nature.
MANAHTTEN MURDER- Allen dusted off an early version of Annie Hall for this. A few good jokes, a few stupid scenes. Same filmic technique as HUSBANDS for some bizzare reason.
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY- The last truly great film he made. Check it out. Now.
DON'T DRINK THE WATER (T.V.) Again, an old script. WTF? Really fun stupid comedy though.
MIGHTY APHRO- Clever conceit, half-baked execution. Get used to it.
EVERYONE SAYS- Ditto.
DECONSTRUCTING HARRY- Ditto. Plus, it makes me a little sick.
CELEBRITY- Again, Judy Davis is a genius! Fast foward through the rest of the shit and just watch her scenes.
SWEET AND LOWDOWN- A riff on LA STRADA. A few good jokes. Good performances. Short, yet way too long.
SMALL TIME CROOKS- Play the game: "where'd he steal that joke?"
CURSE- I think he wrote in the time it takes to watch it.
HOLLYWOOD ENDING- This is just insulting.
ANYTHING ELSE- Allen's great in this one. Otherwise, really tedious.
MELINDA AND MELINDA- A continuation of the "clever conceit, half-baked execution" curse.
MATCH POINT- WAY the fuck over-rated. Very very well made, but it reaches the same conclusion as CRIMES, so who cares?
SCOOP- I kinda liked it. I'll never watch it again. AGAIN WITH THE SUPERNATURAL! ALLEN IS NOT A STRICT MATERIALIST!
CASSANDRA'S- High on the praise for Match Point, Allen shows how he's now a master of fucking up.
VICKY- Am I the only one who hated this?
WHATEVER WORKS- Again, an old script. Improves slightly on second viewing.
YOU WILL MEET- Tons of characters. I could give a fuck about any of them. I just watched it two weeks ago, and I can barely remember what it's about.
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