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.

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.

I am wanting like crazy to see this movie. I keep looking for it and I keep reading about it, and seeing video previews of it, but nothing is out yet. Why isn't Amazon showing it?

What I do see is that most reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes and elsewhere are prejudicially rating this very low, and clearly the reason is peer pressure. Since the absurd "hatchet job" documentary as Woody calls it "Allen V. Farrow" was released with HBO's name on it people are afraid to say anything good about Woody or his movies, and certainly will not release them without some kind of fight. This is a whole national witch hunt - but directed at one very famous and prominent American genius of a filmmaker. It is just not right.

This is so unfair and prejudicial that I feel totally correct and justified to give "Rifkin's Festival" a 10/10 stars to attempt to do my tiny part to rebalance the ratings just a little bit. I believe Woody.

The idea that Woody after 2 investigations and another to determined if he and SoonYi were fit to adopt children would have molested Dylan Farrow while an entire household of people were told to keep an eye on him,for 10 minutes in an attic, that is so small that even if a train set was up there even a little kid could not even fit up there - it's ridiculous. 30 years later he is still being dogged but these absurd accusations. Even Mia Farrow did not hold Roman Polanky guilty for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl ... so, this is all about Mia and her festering hate and vengeance.

So, as soon as I see this movie, if I need to I will return and adjust the rating should need be, but Woody's movies are so great I doubt the occasion will arise.

A tribute to cinema, existentialism and Woody Allen's career.

Great story, great lines, great directing but I think casting wasn't good enough. We all know that after the allegations against Woody Allen (and I have no doubt of his innocence) casting would be a little hard to do.

Wallace Shaun isn't cogent being a couple with Gina Gershon, but he's delivered a good interpretation.

At the end, is a clear tribute to Bergman, with some points of Godard, Truffaut and Woody Allen's career.