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 You've
got to hand it to Woody Allen. After directing some of the greatest
films of all time, he's gotten to a point in his career where he can
practically make movies with his eyes closed.
With his 33rd film, he does just that...well, sort of. In Hollywood
Ending, Allen plays a washed-up director who tries to make his
all-important comeback movie while blind. Sound funny? It is--for
a little while anyway, but then this middling, one-joke movie drags
on for far longer than even Allen's most devoted fans may care to
endure.
Allen plays Val Waxman, a neurotic, two-time Oscar-winner who hasn't
had a hit film in more than a decade. When he gets his chance to
return to the big time, he's faced with a dilemma. Should he take
the film being offered to him by his ex-wife (Tea Leoni) who dumped
him for the studio head (Treat Williams) bankrolling the picture,
or should he stay in near-obscurity and continue making TV commercials
for peanuts? Out of desperation, he takes the job, but he psychosomatically
loses his sight the night before filming is scheduled to begin.
How on earth is Val expected to direct a $60 million movie when
he can't even see? Even worse, what will happen when someone else
finds out? Will everything work out in the end? (With a title like
Hollywood Ending, what do you think?)
Woody Allen's movies have always been an acquired taste, and Hollywood
Ending is certainly no exception to the rule. Unfortunately,
Allen's taste this time around may be a little on the bland side.
It's quite obvious that the ultimate New Yorker had a grand ol'
time making fun of the movie business (and his place in it), but
his inside jokes may be a little too far inside for mainstream moviegoers.
In addition, while the slapstick-inducing premise leads to some
downright funny moments, they are too sporadic to sustain a film
that already runs longer than it should. To that extent, Hollywood
Ending is a movie that should have ended a lot sooner.
The other problem is that it's becoming increasingly implausible
for the 66-year-old Allen to continue having romantic interludes
with drop-dead gorgeous actresses who are less than half his age.
As it is, the older he gets, the younger his leading ladies get,
and it's becoming rather ridiculous (and just a tad bit disturbing).
Sure, the same could be said about Michael Douglas or Harrison Ford,
but at least they still command enough on-screen charisma to make
their romances work. Let's face it, Allen's no spring chicken, and
his offbeat romances require bigger leaps of faith with each passing
movie.
Fortunately, as is always the case, Allen surrounds himself with
a slew of fine actors who probably would have worked for free to
be in one of his films (and judging by his budgets, they probably
did). Tea Leoni seems best suited for Allen's spontaneous, off-the-cuff
style, and she puts in what is easily her strongest performance
since 1996's little-seen Flirting with Disaster. Treat Williams
is also perfectly cast as the slick studio head who Allen reluctantly
caters to, while the beautiful Debra Messing steals the show as
Allen's ditsy actress-wannabe girlfriend.
Despite its flaws, Hollywood Ending still passes for a typical
Woody Allen film, complete with rambling dialogue, stinging one-liners,
and golden age music for the soundtrack. It may not be Annie
Hall, Manhattan, or Hannah and Her Sisters, but die-hard
fans who were even remotely entertained by the somewhat amusing,
but ultimately forgettable Small Time Crooks or The Curse
of the Jade Scorpion will be happy to know that some things
never change.
Even so, here's hoping that Allen opens his eyes the next time around.
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