GeorgeC

The trailers for this film capitalize on its sexuality and naturalistic dialogue, and in the tough economic climate for non-US films these days, I'm not surprised. But, the beautiful part about this film was its evolving complexity, and the depth of its characters' struggle with their pasts and each other, which came as a welcome shock. Every face on screen is expressive and well shot, and the twisty, thoughtful script capitalizes on the acting talents of its (mostly) young cast and the distinctive beauty of its island setting. I wasn't so impressed with the washed-out photography, but everything else about this film was much more keen, incisive, and pleasant than I expected, and I had high expectations. Charming!

I'm a huge Allen fan, and own almost everything he's directed or starred in (I even liked Celebrity!). But, I was disappointed in this one, for a couple of reasons. First, the pacing is frustrating throughout - although some of the individual scenes are beautifully timed, the film feels forced overall, and some of the acting is remarkably bad, which is unusual for Woody films. Second, Woody never really tapped into the depth under his themes - he could have dealt with psychosomatic handicaps, artistic frustration, and rekindling romance in a much more revealing way, without sacrificing the ability to make the audience laugh (he pulled this sort of thing off with panache in Crimes and Misdemeanors and Bullets Over Broadway, to name only a couple). Third, and most frustrating, the camera work in the film is not up to Woody's usual par. He's given up the great work of Sven Nykvist and Zhao Fei for a new collaborator, who doesn't have the instinct or talent to match the brilliance of Woody's previous cinematographers. So, although some of the dialogue crackles, and there's plenty of sly autobiograohical reference and teasing Hollywood convention in the script (I loved the lifetime achievement award for Haley Joel Osment!), there wasn't enough substance to the film to win me over. Sorry, Woody.