Review of Bananas!* (2009) by Joe B — 07 Dec 2006

Woody Allen's screwball comedy about a hapless American (played by Allen himself) who goes to South America in an attempt to win the heart of his political activist ladyfriend. While there, through a bewildering serious of events, he becomes the unwitting president of a small country currently in the throes of civil war.

A funny premise, and consistently excellent acting from Allen, do not hide the fact that this is not one of his stronger scripts. There are a number of laugh-out-loud moments (including Allen's attempt to order several thousand sandwiches for his troops at a small deli), but overall this movie doesn't contain as much political satire as I wanted or expected.

Still, portions of it ring surprisingly true today, given America's current relationship with the rest of the world.