The Love Letter (1999)

With Hollywood Ending, Woody Allen good-naturedly bites the hand that feeds him. The modern studio system is a ripe target for Allen’s rapier wit, but the veteran writer-director goes a delicious step further by playing a has-been filmmaker who suffers from psychosomatic blindness--during the production of his big-budget comeback! Rather than sabotage his career, he proceeds to direct the film with guidance from his Chinese cinematographer’s translator, telling his agent (played by another veteran director, Mark Rydell) while hiding the truth from his ex-wife and producer (Téa Leoni), her studio honcho husband (Treat Williams), and his ditzy actress girlfriend (Debra Messing), who has a small role in the film. Chaos ensues--and so does Allen’s predilection for casting much-younger female costars--but Hollywood Ending favors a more contemplative blend of comedy and drama, peppered with memorable punch lines and blessed with, yes, a Hollywood ending that’s as entertaining as the mayhem that precedes it. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

NYC-LA Culture Wars, Part II

As I noted in a review last year of Woody Allen's classic Annie Hall, that is among other things a defense of New York City as the cultural epicenter American culture such as it is, this is matter that has preoccupied him from early in his career as a director/ writer/actor/comic. Allen is the quintessential New Yorker so one knows where his sledge hammer will fall. In the current movie under review Hollywood Ending that same premise underlies his story line as he, once again, portrays on screen the trials and tribulations of trying to maintain some kind of artistic integrity in the world of Hollywood commercial filmmaking.

The plot here centers on Allen's character Val Waxman, an aging has-been director given another chance by, of all people, his ex-wife getting paralyzed by the prospects to such an extent that he has become temporarily blind. Nevertheless in the interest of comedy and his career (and their careers, as well) Val and his friends con their way through the filming of the remake of a 1940's film about New York City that is to be the key to his comeback. Along the way Allen gets to get his licks in on Hollywood culture, commercial filmmaking and the funny premise that commercial films are so dumb, for the most part, that a blind man is entirely capable of making a bad film, just like most other directors. Interesting film and, as always, full of autobiographical references, Allen's trademark cerebral humor and his extensive use of sight gags. Well worth a look see.

February 19, 2008

Fun, cute, well-paced

Part of the solid early 90s trilogy along with Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Small Time Crooks. Each one of these is a cute, silly, well-balanced story with a weaving plot that resolves with grace and symmetry. These movies are not laugh out loud funny, but the wise-cracks keep rolling as Woody waxes nostalgic and makes fun of himself. I find them very relaxing and enjoyable. This is Woody's last good movie. December 6, 2007

*Enjoyable Movie To Watch*

I really enjoyed this movie.It had people in it that you grew to like and care about.It was a very easy movie to watch and enjoy. November 11, 2007

Fairly amusing

Like most of his films of late, Woody Allen's "Hollywood Ending" was panned by the critics, but it's actually fairly amusing. One of Allen's self-described "trifles," it casts the Woodman as a down on his luck director whose ex-wife persuades studio boss Treat Williams to give him one last shot at directing a major film. On the eve of production, he goes blind, a psychosomatic response to the way the plot parallels his personal life.

It's popular to suggest that since hitting 60, Allen's comic timing is off, but I laughed frequently as the blind director fumbled his way across the film set and engaged in conversation while facing an empty seat on the sofa rather than the person he's addressing. The movie within the movie turns out to be a disaster, of course, but it's hailed by the French critics. The ending mirrors Allen's own career these days. Once the fair-haired boy of American critics, Allen must now go abroad to find a receptive audience.

Brian W. Fairbanks August 8, 2007

2.5 stars--Tries, but fails

In Hollywood Ending, Woody Allen plays a once-great director with the reputation of being hard to work with. He's in need of a comeback project to get him out of directing TV commercials. A chance comes from an unexpected place, his ex-wife, who is now engaged to the head of a studio. She lobbies hard for Allen's character to direct a new movie about New York City. Despite tremendous reservations, he is hired and begins his great comeback. However, in the few days before shooting, he develops a case of temporary blindness. Not wanting to blow his big chance, he directs the movie anyway with the help of his agent/friend and the translator for the Chinese cameraman. When the translator gets fired, he confides in his ex-wife and she helps him because the movie is over half-way done.

The premise of this movie is a good one I think, but it just wasn't funny. The cast is very good and they all try hard, but I didn't laugh out loud once only smiled a few times. The movie doesn't take any chances, all the jokes are too tame. Woody is a hypochondriac (haven't seen that before), Woody walks into a wall (he's blind, remember?), Woody looks the wrong way when talking to people, people keep asking him things like 'which color do you like best?', 'which prop clock do you want to use?'. It all begins to repeat itself and it wasn't funny the first time. Woody Allen also continues to stretch credibility with the lovely women he casts. Tea Leoni as his ex-wife, Debra Messing as his girlfriend and Tiffani Thiessen as an actress who tries to seduce him. Yeah, right. Hollywood Ending tries, but fails. April 16, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...