Bullets Over Broadway

Why do "reviewers" of Woody Allen always have to qualify their praise with something lame like "not his best, but...". It sucks! This move is as good as any Woody Allen movie I've ever seen, and that's saying a hell of a lot, and I've seen a hell of a lot of them. Own a lot too. This movie was colorful, funny, filled with fascinating characters, had more plot twists that a dog's hind leg, and the perfect ending. It was as original as anything could possibly be. I won't give away any of the plot, I'll leave that to the clods who have nothing else to say about the picture. Woody Allen is not in this movie, that disappointed me the first time I saw it, but now that I've seen it again, I don't mind. It was great. Though as a rule I prefer his movies with him in them. Also the movie had substance and structure. It was well-constructed and moved fast. I liked it a lot. Note: pay attention to the background music (songs actually) at significant events in the flick. I highly recommend it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe no poll has ever been made about which one is most deemed as Woody Allen's masterpiece by far. I once thought that we seemingly tend to pick whichever we can best relate to, but recently when I had a chance to sit down and watch five of his movies all over again -"Annie Hall", "Manhattan", "Hannah and her sisters", "Bullets over Broadway", "Mighty Aphrodite" -I realized that any of us could easily relate to at least something in each of those great films. That would define Allen's genius when it comes to directing (romantic or un-romantic?) comedies. When it comes to casting, though, "Bullets over Broadway" must be the best of all, featuring the finest performance of every actor. Not only the credit must go to those in lead roles (John Cusack -who played Woody Allen's would-be character, Dianne Wiest, Jack Warden, Jennifer Tilly), but the supporting cast was superb as well (with Tracy Ullman as Eden, Chazz Palmenterri as Cheech, Rob Reiner as Flender, Mary-Louise Parker as Ellen, and Stacey Nelkin -Allen's ex-girldfriend -as Rita). This film was perfect in each of its scenes, but if I had to pick my favorite one, it would be the final dialogue between Cusack, Parker, Reiner and Nelkin. I don't remember having heard in any other comedy a dialogue that's so hilarious and so thought-provoking at the same time.

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Departing from the modern realism of 'Interiors,' 'Annie Hall,' and 'Hannah and Her Sisters,' director Woody Allen uses old-time, deliciously over-the-top Broadway to execute with brilliant precision themes concerning the artist, his art, and the motivation to create.

In a problematic but never unexciting performance, John Cusack is David Shayne, a play-write living in New York City in the midst of a stable relationship whilst directing a play found to be pretentiously unrealistic. He casts two generally wonderful actors, the melodramatic but passionate Helen Sinclair (a hilarious Dianne Wiest in a brilliant, Oscar-winning performance), and finally, a gangster's girlfriend, Olive Neal (Jennifer Tilly), who simply cannot act...at all. Every word she speaks is painfully bland and obnoxious, and she can't even recognize a few of the more complicated ones (she has a bit of trouble reading "masochistic"). David has no choice but to cast her, though, lest he face the mob and/or lose all financial support for the play. In addition to her obnoxious...erm...stage presence, she brings along Cheech (Chazz Parliminteri), a body guard who often contradicts David's directorial decisions and dialogue.

This storyline could have easily been played off as farce. But under the hands of master auteur Allen, it is obvious that art, theme and credible side-splitting comedy are first and foremost on his mind at all times. Through dinner conversation, casual walks through a serene park, and wonderfully portrayed rehearsals, Allen harnesses this potentially absurd setting with a grace that allows emphasis on the crucial themes concerning all that surrounds an artist's yearning to capture life at its brightest and darkest moments.

Dianne Wiest's powerhouse of a comedic performance only strengthens the fluidity of the writing and direction. Her seductive Helen Sinclair not only overacts her lines, but also everyday expressions (whenever David attempts to say something self-doubting, she shoves her hands in his face, screaming, "Don't...speak"). In addition to these hilarities, Wiest allows us to believe David began to fall for her. She injects a strong, luminous quality into Helen that could intoxicate the most impervious of hearts. Behind the cigarettes and the sparkling hats and dresses, Wiest developed a glowing gem of a human being who feels comfortably real.

Also notable was Chazz Paliminteri who successfully and convincingly began to shed Cheech's "tough gangster" persona to reveal a naturalistic talent for writing that clashed purposefully and appropriately with David's forced poeticism.

Despite some memorable performances and a well-written screenplay, 'Bullets' unfortunately concludes a little too easily. Fortunately, the tone is never monotonous and the laughs keep on coming. What's wonderful about Allen's comedy is that it doesn't feel contrived or trite at any point in time. Even when he plays with the dazzlingly over-expressive lights of old Broadway, whatever comes out of his characters' mouthes feels absolutely natural, and for the most part endearingly uproarious.

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Oh Woody, Woody, Woody. When he is funny, he is one of the best comic writers around, and in this movie his writing is hilarious. What other auteur in the cinema today can poke fun at those little idiosyncracies that we all see in ourselves, and get away with it?

Our hero, in a rare departure is not played by Woody Allen but rather, John Cusack, who gives a subtle performance, rather than the over-the-top pisstake by Kenneth Branagh in "Celebrity". He is trying to get his latest play staged, and can only do so by accepting money from the Mob and having a mobster's girlfriend, with no talent, take one of his lead roles. The humour that ensues centres around each of the plays characters, from the fading diva played by Dianne Wiest to the compulsive eater played by the magnificent Jim Broadbent, as they prepare for the play's debut on Broadway. All the performances are spot on and the only criticism comes in the ham-fisted fashion that the film concludes with a mobsters shootout and its all too happy ending.

Nevertheless this is well worth watching to hear great comic lines and the splendid cast who deliver them.

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It's always all or nothing with Woody Alan. Either the film is brilliant, hilarious and wonderful (as this is) or tedious and flat (Celebrity or that Godawful Everyone Says I Love You). This film flat out makes me laugh hysterically. If you are a theatre buff--add even ten more enjoyment points!

It has a great sense of time and place---thirties Broadway that is just wonderful. What a thrill to see NYC circa 1933

with a great thirites soundtrack including Toot Toot Tootsie.

From Diane Wiest's over the top self absorbed Talullah Bankhead type actress ( Academy award winning performance) to Jennifer Tilly's hysterical mob girl to James Broadbent's nervous actor who just can't stop eating to Chaz Palmentiri's sensitive gangster (also an Academy Award)...this is a hoot and a half! Just can't stop laughing from this film. When I'm down, I watch it and it's a pick me up.

Lots of great surprises--Harvey Fierstein, Rob Reiner,

and other classic character actors in minor roles. This is one of Woody's best! Some of the funniest lines to ever come off an hors dourve tray. See this one. The plot is very surprising and outrageous and lovers of black comedy will

smile.

As for some of Woody's other good ones, see Radio Days or Mighty Aphrodite, Broadway Danny Rose or Hannah and Her Sisters. Avoid at all costs Deconstructing Harry and Sweet and Lowdown and the aforementioned Celebrity and Everyone Says I love you.