Rifkin's Festival

I enjoyed this film. Allen speaks through Wallace Shaun whose character says he was happiest at being a film teacher. His respect and love of classical European film directors come face to face with today's and he finds today's lacking. One of my favorite scenes from Breathless is shown. Some scenes are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud. Something I haven't done in a while. In particular, Louis Garrel character as a contemporary film director finds himself being interviewed at the festival by journalists and then the bongo drum scene. The San Sebastián location is magnificent. Lot of references to Paris and New York. When he says there's nothing like walking down Boulevard Saint-Michel in the rain - you know what he means.

It isn't a great film, but I enjoyed spending time watching Wallace Shawn reciting Woody Allen's genius words about the meaning of life, the pretentiousness of art and the adrenaline of new love. Allen rarely disappoints... and this late-life crisis hits most of the classic notes.

Woody Allen revisits many themes viewers have seen before in his earlier films, and spoofs of scenes from famous European filmmakers. The 2 female leads are very good and the scenery is gorgeous.

Entertaining with the beautiful city of San Sebastián as a backdrop.

Romantic city. Gyspsy jazz. Film talk. Infidelity. The usual. It's well written, well acted and well-trodden. But not bad! The various 'homages' to classic filmmakers shows Woody can still have fun with his ideas. The cinematography by Vittorio Storaro is a massive improvement from the last Woody project ("Rainy Day in NY") which was dreadful to look at. It seems the production went smoother this time around.

There are many fleeting characters that deliver quality lines throughout the vignettes. Some of their stories would have been worth pursuing. Carmen Salta appears on screen for 10 seconds, but I wish the film was about her.

I agree with other critics that Wallace Shawn (a fine character actor) is miscast in the lead. His pairing with Gina Gershon doesn't work on any level. Neither perfomer can overcome the romantic chasm between them. At no point did I believe they were ever lovers, let alone married.

Gershon acts well, but Shawn delivers his lines glacially, often in an ironic tone which doesn't gel with the rest of the cast. For some reason he has cheap, ill-fitting clothes in every scene. I'm sure he's capable of playing a confident writer, or even an esoteric lady's man, but Woody directs him as a daydreaming loser who can barely dress himself.

Overall, it is an episodic, trivial romance, lacking the spark of better works like "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". But, it's gently amusing and still worth a watch.