Review of A Rainy Day in New York (2019) by Meydianarizki21 — 29 Mar 2021

Finally I saw the film I have waited for and, if its Woody's last, its a walkoff winner!

Gatsby (what a great character name and played by Timothee Chalamet) is a student at Yardley College in upstate New York. Its a compromise between him and his parents, as Gatsby's main interests are card games and piano bars. Happily, Gatsby has a beautiful girlfriend, Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) who is a journalism student and writer for the college paper. Its Ashleigh's good fortune to snag an interview with a famous movie director, Pollard (Liev Schrieber) but must travel to Manhattan to meet this man. As this is Gatsby's home city, he is excited to come along and show her his favorite sights and the bar where they play the music he loves. So, off they go. After arrival, the two part, agreeing to meet for lunch after the Pollard meeting. But, things go off kilter. The director is in despair over the film he has just finished and, enchanted by Ashleigh's pretty face and winning ways, he insists she screen it with him. This will take hours and Gatsby gets the call she will be later than she expects. Annoying! Thus, Gatsby goes to visit his brother, who if about to be married. Horrors, this sibling tells Gatsby he can't go through with it, due to his fiancees screeching laugh. Having no advice, Gatsby then visits the set of an indie film being shot by an old friend where he runs into Chan (Selena Gomez) the younger sis of an old Gatsby girlfriend. She has agreed to be in the movie where she is to receive a passionate kiss in a convertible! All too soon, Gatsby gets persuaded to be in the movie and bestow this lip clencher. Ho ho ho. Although they trade barbs and insults, the kiss has rattled them both. As Ashleigh is still busy, Chan and Gatsby go visit a museum as rain is pouring. Wait, what's going on? Tihs enchanting film has all of Woody Allen's fabulous ingredients. The cast is great, with Chalamet shining brightly; all of the others, Fanning, Schieber, Jude Law, Rebecca Hall and the rest, do fine work, too. The sets are wonderful and the costumes snazzy. Most of all, the script is full of humor, pathos, and charm while the direction never falters. Yes, as stated many times, I am Allen's biggest fan living in Toledo, Ohio, which is nowhere at all.