Sweet and Lowdown
A pseudo-documentary about a fictional jazz guitarist, Emmet Ray, in the 1930s, Sweet and Lowdown is exactly what you’d expect from the title. Sean Penn puts in one of his least-obnoxious (Ironic, I think, considering that is one of the character’s biggest traits) performances as Emmet, making him simultaneously sympathetic and despicable. But, Samantha Morton absolutely steals this film, without ever speaking a word. Every time the movie, or Penn, rather, starts to reach that vanity point, Morton’s Hattie reels him back down. Yes, bio-pic’s, even fake one’s, should shine a big bright spotlight on their subjects; it helps highlight the greatness and allows the audience to spot the flaws, but it’s occasionally too much here. Even though Allen allows Ray to make some colossal errors in judgment and be a one-of-a-kind jerk, it feels a bit too buffoonish. All in all though, it’s a good movie, one that earned Oscar nominations for it’s leads. The guitar work, I should mention, is phenomenal, and makes this film a must watch for anyone who appreciates great music of any kind.
Sleeper
I guess it would be fair to say that Sleeper is Allen’s first (and only) foray into the genre of science fiction, though it lacks a lot of what most people would associate with that genre. According to the trivia for the film, Allen met with Isaac Asimov and Ben Bova to discuss the scientific feasibility of the world he’d envisioned. But, so much of that world is left unexplored, that it hardly seems like any of those discussions were transferred to the screen. Not to say that Sleeper isn’t enjoyable, quite the opposite really. The story, a man frozen in the past wakes up to find a future full of inept bureaucracy and a docile, child-like population. While I’m sure some of the finer plot points were derived from other works of sci-fi, I was amazed by how much modern movies and TV shows in the genre have borrowed from Sleeper, specifically Demolition Man, Idiocracy and Futurama. There are moments were the silliness can be too much, but it’s forgivable, seeing as this is one of his earliest works. Allen is all-around fun as Miles Monroe, playing his usual nuerotic character. I’ve stated before that I’m not the world’s biggest Diane Keaton fan, especially in her early years, but she’s mostly enjoyable here. It’s a fun, mostly funny romantic comedy.
Manhattan Murder Mystery
Another film where Allen takes on a somewhat unfamiliar genre, this time, well, it’s a murder mystery. Playing out as a sort of Nick and Nora Charles: The Elder Years, Manhattan Murder Mystery is a pretty effective entry into the cannon. Allen and Keaton (in a role I REALLY enjoyed her in) play Larry and Carol Lipton, a couple that slowly begins to suspect their neighbor Paul (a brilliant Jerry Adler) of murdering his wife. Carol, with the help of a long time friend (Alan Alda, also wonderful here) tries to piece the clues together, much to the chagrin of her husband, who has begun discussing her theories with one of his clients, author Marcia Fox (Angelica Houston, who plays smart, cool and sexy like nobodies business). I won’t spoil anything more, because there are some really great twists and turns in the story, and thought the end is a bit abrupt, the last half of the film makes for a really tense thriller. It lacks the depth of Allen’s more well regarded films, but it also abandons the silliness he likes to occasionally wallow in. It’s just a good, well made film, sometimes that’s enough.
Interiors
Interiors is the first of Allen’s films that didn’t feature him on screen in any way, and I think it’s the first film he made that was a straight drama, which may be why he isn’t in it. The story focus’ on three adult sisters and how their lives are unexpectedly changed when their father leaves their mother for a younger woman. At times it’s an interesting, somewhat frustrating look at how people do, in fact, judge the quality of their life by measuring it alongside someone else’s. The performances are solid, though occasionally droll and the direction and script are fine, but, mostly I was bored throughout, and I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because there was nothing relatable (for me) about any of the characters on screen. Maybe it’s because I went through a similar situation as a child, so watching three adults go to pieces because their parents divorced just put a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe it’s because I’d had so much fun with the previous films, the stark contrast of Interiors just turned me off. Either way, I didn’t enjoy the film much at all. It’s one I may try to revisit later in the marathon to see if my opinion changes.
