Café Society

It's a love triangle, that's all there is to it and the whole thing kind of fizzles out. Woody only makes films out of inertia these days, but Café Society in particular is so caressing, cute, and in its own way, endearingly old-fashioned, especially since it has the flawless atmosphere of 1930s Hollywood, an era that has always appealed to me, an old-timer. In addition to that, I realised that Stewart can be attractive when the role allows her to. And in fact the ending was exactly as melancholic as it should. (2016-12-18)

51st KVIFF – Allen has made a recycled, safe comedy snack. Eisenberg plays a confident and absent-minded young man. Steward city is a mess, so there’s balance in the universe and everything is where it should be. The characters aren’t real people, but one-dimensional figures on the chessboard of Woody’s humour, and everything just fizzles out. (2016-07-10)

The enchanting atmosphere of the Golden Age of Hollywood era and the playing out of a love story promises more than what the movie can deliver in its second half: a clichéd love tangle and the unnecessary secondary storyline with a gangster brother. Jesse Eisenberg and Steve Carell are great, while Kristen Stewart doesn’t seem the right choice for her role. Blake Lively would deserve more space, though the development of her character would probably bring more clichés to the film. The movie feels longer than it actually is. A tired Woody. Two and a half stars. (2016-09-22)

Last time, I was quite enthusiastic about Magic in the Moonlight, but Café Society is even better. I haven't experienced this much authentic happiness from interwar Hollywood in a long time. There are plenty of excellent details, winking, and playing with names and projects, as well as the classic relationship analysis. It's not necessary to enjoy a romance that isn't quite tip-top, but if you appreciate art deco and a zillion references to all those names like Gloria Swanson, Barbara Stanwyck, Ginger Rogers, or Jean Harlow, you've come to the right place. The costumes, the sets, and the atmosphere are all top-notch, and only after all this did I realize that the make-up is not period-based, but fortunately, that doesn't ruin the whole (which is an interesting paradox). (2016-09-26)

If you like Woody Allen, his character in this movie will definitely catch you eye real quick. And I have to say that Jesse Eisenberg really nailed the classic emotional nut case. Apparently, he’s been watching all of Woody’s movies, because not only did he have the gestures down, but also the general body movements, faces and overall behavior towards women. What’s more, for this movie, Woody chose a rather rewarding theme that he loves very much and so he poked fun at the extravagance of the legendary Hollywood generation of the 1930s once again. Steve Carell, for example, was absolutely excellent in his role. But what initially looks like another Woody dialogue movie from a world of the young, hopeful and the rich eventually reveals itself to be a very light melancholic drama with a hint of gangster movie. Once again, Woody shot a movie that’s absolutely typical of him and once again, he brought in something inconspicuously fresh that can caress the soul and fascinates at the same time. (2017-08-31)