I'll keep this short, because I really like Woody Allen's films and I don't want to unleash some sort of insane diatribe-for-the-sake-of-a-diatribe on a failed attempt.
"Stardust Memories" is a muddled and self-indulgent film, and no doubt a very personal one. It's wacky, surreal and it's got some decent jokes - some people consider it their favorite.
Me, it gave me a headache, with the onslaught of Felliniesque faces and characters with their caricatured expressions, garish make-up and overlapping dialogue which generally consisted of "Could I have your autograph Mr. Bates?" (who was played by Woody Allen.)
It's not funny enough for a comedy and not disciplined enough for a drama.
The film is Allen's tribute to Fellini's "8 1/2" - it tells the story of a director, Bates, who wants to stop making comedies because life has lost meaning for him. While the process and the insights might have been interesting for Allen, they are really meaningless to a non-director, an audience member. (The film is almost too personal - is that possible?) It's more of an example of the director's malaise, rather than a study of it.
One final note: I realize that Allen is the only director who spoofs art films. From Bergman to Fellini to directors of the German Expressionist period, even his existential films are self-conscious as films because of their emphasis on style (and appropriate theme, given a certain style). Except read "spoof" as "commentary" or "response."
"Stardust Memories" is a muddled and self-indulgent film, and no doubt a very personal one. It's wacky, surreal and it's got some decent jokes - some people consider it their favorite.
Me, it gave me a headache, with the onslaught of Felliniesque faces and characters with their caricatured expressions, garish make-up and overlapping dialogue which generally consisted of "Could I have your autograph Mr. Bates?" (who was played by Woody Allen.)
It's not funny enough for a comedy and not disciplined enough for a drama.
The film is Allen's tribute to Fellini's "8 1/2" - it tells the story of a director, Bates, who wants to stop making comedies because life has lost meaning for him. While the process and the insights might have been interesting for Allen, they are really meaningless to a non-director, an audience member. (The film is almost too personal - is that possible?) It's more of an example of the director's malaise, rather than a study of it.
One final note: I realize that Allen is the only director who spoofs art films. From Bergman to Fellini to directors of the German Expressionist period, even his existential films are self-conscious as films because of their emphasis on style (and appropriate theme, given a certain style). Except read "spoof" as "commentary" or "response."