O Dorminhoco

Woody Allen's films are generally treasured among other comedies because of their wit and charm. Many critics would agree, though, that Allen's earlier films were among his best. One of those movies was a lighthearted film called `Sleeper,' which starred a younger version of Allen and a younger, but always beautiful Diane Keaton. Although `Sleeper' leaves a person in stitches from laughter, its one flaw is that it lacks an ending. But don't let that stop you from seeing this comedy classic. In the end, who cares where it goes because it's just flat out funny. `Sleeper' is the story of Miles Monroe (Allen), who is cryogenically frozen in 1973 after having a procedure in a hospital. He is awoken nearly 200 years later by a group of scientists who want Monroe to help them defeat the leader of their society, as America's future consists of a totalitarian state. While on his adventure through this futuristic world, Monroe meets a beautiful woman named Luna Schlosser (Keaton) who he begins to have a love interest in. The two team up to try to oust their tyrannical government and bring about freedom and prosperity. `Sleeper' was hysterical from beginning to end. The very opening scene shows Monroe covered in tin foil-clearly scientists in 1973 found new and amazing uses for this wonderful kitchen product. As soon as Monroe awakens, he is disoriented, smiling aimlessly into space and walking backwards and into people. Allen's comical blend of intellect and charm shows up soon after. The futuristic society is comprised of people who have no historical references for the events of the past 200 years, as their leader has undoubtedly outlawed certain forms of knowledge that could lead to rebellion. They use Monroe to fill in the historical gaps by showing him pictures of famous twentieth century individuals, such as Joseph Stalin. Monroe provides his own synopsis of their contributions to the world in his own clever way, as he does also for former President Nixon. Allen's writing, direction and performance were hilarious. Rarely do we see writing as clever and sidesplitting in today's comedies. The only other comic director today that could even compare to Allen would be Christopher Guest, whose mockumentary films such as `Best In Show,' and the recent `A Mighty Wind,' have a real source of comedy. Most present comedies are trivial, filled with rehashed jokes that depend more on toilet humor than any form of real wittiness. The film's only problem is that after an hour and a half, it doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. It ends on a clever note about love with the protagonists somehow managing to save themselves, but not really the day. They realize that perhaps the only thing worth fighting for, in the end is love. All in all, `Sleeper' was a very funny farce on science fiction stories, and it cemented Allen's ability to be an engaging and funny in his films. ***

Sleeper was a very interesting project for Allen. He had spent time doing stand up, and up until this, his movies had been written around the jokes. With the exception of Play it Again, Sam, they were a series of sketches loosely tied into a weak plot. Sleeper was the beginning of the end of this. While the plot is somewhat "sit-com-ish", it was still there, and viewers always kept it in mind. It was also loose enough that Allen could incorporate scenes paying homage to the early silent film stars (the scene with the flying suits is my personal favorite). Miles Monroe was also a rip off from Bob Hope's cowardly hero personalities, but Allen gave it his own twist, and, in my opinion, made it much better. All in all, Allen achieved the perfect blend of slapstick and substance for those in need of a simple comedy. It lacks the depth of some of his better films, but if you want to laugh, this is for you.

Oh, and if you find it somewhat intellectually devoid, try Love and Death. It was his next film, and he added less slapstick and more highbrow comedy, as well as a little more real drama and substance.

Sleeper is a comedy with one of the wittiest premises I've ever seen. It is a comedy about life in the 22nd century through a neurotic Jewish Brooklynite's cynical eyes. No matter how different things are in the future, his perspective doesn't change, his wry sense of humor stays the same, happily misplaced ragtime music plays over the movie, and old-fashioned sight gags are employed complete with the occasional stepped-up film speed.

Allen has always done well playing virtually the same character in all of his movies, but his talent as an on screen comedian is milestoned in this performance. He has the brilliance to mock even the most elusive and unnoticed physical conventions of screen acting, for instance his whispering to Diane Keaton while they pose as doctors in the presence of several people close by. It's a nitpicky sense of humor that contributes greatly to the intelligence behind all of his manic goofiness.

Diane Keaton is his match, however, whereas most of his leading ladies usually aren't. In fact, I hold Diane Keaton's performance in Sleeper as her crowning achievement so far that I've seen of her, even beyond her work in the Godfather films. She delivers great laughs. Her highlight is in what is possibly the funniest scene in the entire film, which eventually involves her doing an impression of Marlon Brando. Who would think that Diane Keaton would deliver the most convincing and dead-on Brando impression one has ever seen. While we're on the subject of that particular part of that hysterical scene that I will preserve for you to see for yourself, I must say that most people, even some of the most talented comedians and office/class clowns can hardly come close to mimicking Brando's voice, expressions and mannerisms. Diane Keaton somehow nails it. In Sleeper, she gives one of the funniest performances I've ever seen from an actress. She and Allen are truly one of the funniest comic pairs I've ever seen in a movie.

What makes Sleeper so funny is not just the physical comedy but the out-of-the-box, completely unorthodox creativity behind all of the physical comedy. There is a scene where someone slips on a banana peel. But the banana peel is the size of a canoe, as is the banana and all of the electronically preserved fruits and vegetables in this particular place, and Allen is being chased by a futuristic cop and both of them are slipping repeatedly on the peel. The film has robot butlers and maids of the future, and gradually throughout the film some are introduced as robots programmed to act and speak like effeminate gay men and Brooklyn Jewish stereotypes. There is also a great amount of intellectualism and cultural knowledge in even the zaniest of humorous moments in Sleeper, and that is what makes it one of Woody Allen's funniest films and a work of true comic genius.

I think I am going to have to rank this as Woody Allen's second-best (and second-funniest) movie... after the unbeatable "Annie Hall". Even after having seen the movie 3 or 4 times I still find myself amused by some of Allen's shtick... and his rarely-demonstrated adeptness at physical comedy. So many classic physical bits: riding around in the wheelchair... eating the rubber glove... the future scientists trying to force his slack body into a futuristic vehicle. After this movie Woody started to get a little too cerebral... this was his last attempt at a just-plain-funny movie... and probably his most satisfying of his early comedies... only because there was a sort-of storyline. Woody is cryogenically frozen after a botched operation in the 1970s and is awoken 200 years later to find himself in a repressive Orwellian future. He meets up with a spoiled rich chick (Diane Keaton) and influences her (not really intentionally) into becoming a revolutionary activist.

No question that Woody Allen's earliest films were the most unpretentiously humorous, and Sleeper stands out among them. The conception of a frozen Allen waking up centuries in the future allows for plenty of biting satire on America in the 70's, not that we don't have plenty of good old-fashioned slapstick to boot. The bit with the Jewish robot tailors knocks me out no matter how many times I see it ("o-KAY, ve'll take it IN").