This Friday the almost-annual Woody Allen film will have its broad release in the U.S.: Irrational Man, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone. So, before I watch that movie, I’ll list my 10 favorite films directed by him.
Whenever you think of Woody Allen, it’s impossible not to think of an enormous amount of fast dialogue, usually delivered by actors portraying Allen’s alter ego (a lot of times played by himself), and almost every time talking about relationships. And I like this kind of movie because they always leave me thinking at the end. So, let’s go to the list!
- Midnight in Paris (2011)
One of the few movies directed by him that doesn’t take place in New York. I love this film because it talks about something that I’ve always related to: the feeling that you should have been born in a different decade. That’s what happens to Gil (Owen Wilson) when he mysteriously is taken back to 1920s Paris and loves it. However, as the story unfolds, we see that no one is ever 100% happy in the present and will always wonder how wonderful it would have been if it was another period in history…
- The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
What I like about this one is that it talks about movies! And the power they have over the audience. Here we meet Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a waitress who lives during the Great Depression and has a terrible life. She finds solace going to the movie theater and watching The Purple Rose of Cairo over and over again, until, one day, one of the actors walks out of the screen! It’s a great comedy and, despite its unrealistic storyline, it has a more realistic ending, which made me like it even more.
- Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
It’s a musical!! With classical songs sang by actors who don’t normally sing! (Even Woody Allen sings in it). It talks about the relationships in one particular family and how love is something everyone is always seeking. The cast is star-studded: Drew Barrymore, Nathalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, Goldie Hawn… It’s a feel good movie and it will leave you with the songs stuck in your head!
- Match Point (2005)
It has a different tone from most Woody Allen films, since it’s not a comedy. However, it does talk about relationships, but in a more serious way. Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has a humble background and wishes to change his life. He meets Chloe Hewett Wilton and loves her family’s money more than her. One day he meets Nola Rice (Scarlet Johansson), an actress who is dating Chloe’s brother and who completely messes with his ambitious plans. So, what should he choose? Love (more lust, actually) or money?
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
On a summer holiday in Spain, two friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) fall in love with the same painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). Little do they know that he has a crazy ex-wife (Penélope Cruz) who can put an end to their vacation. Again, the movie is about relationships and choices one is forced to make. The best thing for me in this film is Penélope Cruz because she can truly convince us that she’s mentally unstable and is just very funny.
- Whatever Works (2009)
Larry David, who is also known for creating crazy and improvised dialogues, plays Woody Allen’s alter ego in this one. He plays Boris Yellnikoff, a misanthropic man, who has very strong ideologies about pretty much everything and decides to commit suicide during an existential crisis. However, he meets a naïve girl from Mississippi who has an impact on his life. Boris’ monologues directed to the camera are just priceless and my favorite quote from the movie is “That’s why I can’t say enough times, whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works.”
- Blue Jasmine (2013)
I got out of the movie theater with “Blue Moon” in my head because of this movie! Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) brings it up all the time and it somehow tells us her story. She is a narcissistic New York socialite who loses everything when her husband (Alec Baldwin) commits suicide after being arrested. She is forced to move to San Francisco with her stepsister and takes anti-depressive all day long. The best thing in the film is Cate Blanchett, who does the “crazy talking”, common to Woody Allen movies.
- Annie Hall (1977)
Considered one of the most important romantic comedies, it tells the story of New York comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) who falls in love with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). The movie actually shows Alvy trying to understand what went wrong with their relationship, until he realizes that a relationship “is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.” The best feature of the film is, again, the dialogue!
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)
With a different structure from his other films, this one is divided into 7 segments, each one addressing one question (Do Aphrodisiacs Work?; What Is Sodomy? Are Transvestites Homosexuals?, etc.). The segments are hilarious and it’s interesting to see Allen taking on so many roles. It’s also nice to see that the “brain’s headquarters”, as named in the new Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out, was already shown here in the last segment (“What Happens During Ejaculation?”).
- Manhattan (1979)
The main character in this movie is truly Manhattan and Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) never stops romanticizing it. He’s been divorced twice and starts dating a 17-old girl. He then falls in love with his best-friend’s mistress! Crazy plot? Yeah, that’s Woody Allen! (and we get to see a very young Meryl Streep in this one!)
So, do you agree with the list? Did I leave your favorite out?
