Café Society (2016)

Review

96min

Genre:      Comedy, Romance

Director:   Woody Allen

Cast:        Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell…and more

Writer:     Woody Allen

-Synopsis-

A wide-eyed, awkward young New Yorker moves to Los Angeles to try and find a place alongside his big-shot movie agent uncle, among the glitz & glamour of 1930s Hollywood; only to be caught up in a highly inconvenient love triangle that splits his heart across two coasts in Woody Allen’s romantic period comedy ode to American high society.

In an extraordinary career spanning 50 years as a writer/director, the iconic and controversial Woody Allen succumbs to pure nostalgia for his 47th film at the helm; a bittersweet romantic comedy that’s dressed to the nines and which takes advantage of one of the highest budgets that Allen has ever been blessed with.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as young Jewish bronx kid “Bobby”, in what may have once been considered a signature Allen role, whose quest to broaden his horizons turns into a job working for his high-life-living uncle (Steve Carell) in the Hollywood movie business. But when a relationship with his uncle’s secretary (Kristen Stewart) morphs from genuine young love into a doomed romantic entanglement; fate takes him back to the “Big Apple” and a new life, but the past in never far nor forgotten.

You’ve probably come to expect certain staples when it comes to a Woody Allen picture, and ‘Café Society’ bears all customary trademarks in different measures; the foibles and idiosyncrasies of being Jewish accompanied by plenty of neuroses, a measure of existentialism and a reverence for academia, comically entangled romances and hilariously ambiguous morality.

However ‘Café Society’ is not the most intellectual, introspective or substantial Allen story, and it’s certainly not in the same league as the films from his zenith between the mid 1970s and 1980s, as critics have been quick to point out. But if like us you’re not a convert to the church of Allen adulation, and accept that you can’t make virtually a film per year into you eighties and expect them to all be unforgettable, there’s plenty to like about ‘Café Society’ on its own merit.

The films is essentially a story about unattainable love, doomed to fail by time and circumstance but never quite given up on. This isn’t a particularly tender love story, and it’s only partially poignant but has its charms; there is however plenty of often farcical and always quirky humour to soften and even sweeten any blows.

However ‘Café Society’ is just as much a Woody Allen ode to “Golden Age” Hollywood and the high society of the era on both coasts… or at least the idea of it, while simultaneously panning vapid celebrity culture. But unsurprisingly Allen can’t help but turn this into yet another love letter to New York, and it seems that his mail always gets delivered, no matter the context or the era.

It’s clear to see where the inflated budget went, with arguably the most visually impressive, almost overly glossy presentation we’ve see from Allen; thanks to top notch costume and general production design, vividly captured by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor) and accompanied by a delightful swing jazz score.

In their third on-screen romantic entanglement, the chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart is clear to see, as they solidify themselves as the awkward, non-dancing millennial “Fred & Ginger”. But the focus here is very much on “Bobby” and the possibilities for a young man in the world, so it’s not exactly Allen’s most balanced or nuanced romance to date.

But the comedy is abundant throughout, with plenty of quirky idiosyncratic characters who all seem to be uncharacteristically pleasant; so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the character with most edge be the most attractive, and that’s Corey Stoll as “Bobby’s” charmingly brutal gangster older brother.

Given the holly unique and now iconic way that Allen has handled the shortcomings of people when it comes to romance and life in general, ‘Café Society’ may not be the most memorable film from perhaps the most prolific major filmmaker alive. There may be an argument for Woody slowing his output and giving his stories the space to breathe; but at this point who the hell are we, or is anyone for that matter, to tell Woody Allen how or when to make films.

The Bottom Line…

While it’s not the most nuanced or warm Woody Allen romantic comedy or one of many films he might be remembered by, ‘Café Society’ has its own unique charms and is an impeccably crafted and consistently funny piece of light entertainment. Yet another notch in the belt of a filmmaker who somehow manages to conceive, craft and deliver a film virtually every year, and still manages to ensure a solid level of quality and entertainment value.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

An all-star cast assembles for this Coen Brothers golden-age Hollywood period comedy revolving around a big Hollywood producer, trying to keep the studio on track while searching for his biggest star who’s been kidnapped under mysterious circumstances.

Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen and starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson among others.

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