gridoon2024 Review of Stardust Memories

Stardust Memories (1980)

Woody Allen can't decide, and neither can I

[6/10 · 24 October 2012]

Woody Allen can't decide (at this point in his career) if he wants to make funny or serious films; I can't decide if (and how much) I like "Stardust Memories". The term " mixed bag" was invented for films like this; on one hand, it has several layers of self reflection (it's a movie about a director who wants to leave the "funny stuff" behind but can't quite bring himself to, and the movie itself has a lot less "funny stuff" than Allen's early films, but certainly a lot more than "Interiors", plus there are movies-within-the movie-within-the-movie), some great lines ("If I identified with a Greek mythological character, it wouldn't be Narcissus" - "Who would it be?" - "Zeus!"), a couple of inexplicably magical moments (the hot air balloons), and three extremely beautiful women (my favorite is Marie Christine Barrault). On the other hand, it has practically no plot (I'd say approximately 70% of the movie is Woody being pestered by fans and signing autographs), it feels aimless, and it's a little hard to stomach that the three aforementioned extremely beautiful women (four, if you count the "room service" by an eager young female fan) all have the hots for Woody. I guess this whole movie is a matter of perspective: if you like it, you'll call it free-form. If you don't, you'll find it formless. One thing is beyond doubt, however: Woody's taste in music is impeccable. **1/2 out of 4.