But is the artist Woody Allen himself? It's obvious that the circumstances are similar if not the same, but an overly literal translation of "Stardust Memories" seems to be what essentially caused critics and fans to dislike it. If one can watch "Stardust Memories" without drawing comparisons to Woody's maturing cinematic talent from the early 70s (Bananas, Sleeper) to the end of the 70s (Interiors, Manhattan), then he will be treated to a feast of visuals and moods in the style of Federico Fellini wonderfully crafted by Woody and legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis. The film is certainly funny and has its share of Woody one-liners, but to watch it to laugh is to watch it for the wrong reasons. If you watch the film to think, and go into it with the mindset usually reserved for drama, you will find yourself laughing more. Woody Allen proved himself more than a comedian with "Annie Hall," a fine dramatic voice with "Interiors," and simply one of the finest filmmakers ever with my all time favorite film "Manhattan." "Stardust Memories" is the culmination of these three films, which, although it would be denied, probably gives the viewer a pretty good idea of where Woody was at with critics and fans at the time. The only Woody Allen film I would recommend more highly than "Stardust Memories" is "Manhattan."
Review of Stardust Memories
