Review of Broadway Danny Rose (1984) by Kenneth L — 29 Mar 2011

Not one of the absolute best Woody Allen movies, but hardly one of the weaker ones either. This is straightforward, entertaining Woody: not as funny as Play It Again, Sam, not as charming as Annie Hall, not as romantic as Manhattan, not as bittersweet as The Purple Rose of Cairo, not as wistful as Radio Days, but still funny and charming and wistful in its own right.

I really liked the story's framing device, of a bunch of comedians sitting around the Carnegie Deli (new place to go to next time I'm in New York) telling stories about their old agents. They tell a particularly crazy story about Danny Rose (played by Woody Allen in one of his most energetic performances, though of course it's basically the same character as always). He earnestly believed in all of his lame clients, including one lounge singer (played by Nick Apollo Forte, an actual lounge singer) whose mob-connected mistress gets Danny into all sorts of madcap trouble.

Woody's neurotic schlemiel character is even funnier and more anxious than usual, because he gets put into situations involving mobsters. While I think the movie had fewer memorable wisecracks than usual, it was still funny to watch this dorky little guy try to deal with threatening mobsters. Mia Farrow, who goes through the entire movie half-hidden behind huge hair and huge sunglasses, gives one of her most extroverted performances. The movie was shot in handsome black-and-white by frequent Allen cinematographer Gordon Willis, but the cinematography doesn't quite have the same magical, tactile feel as it did in Manhattan. There's one really funny gag during a chase that recalls earlier, sillier movies like Bananas and Sleeper. Overall, I don't think it's as funny or as substantial as Allen's best movies. The romance between Allen and Farrow in particular was not very convincing here, I thought. But, still, it's a fun and likable little entry in the Allen canon.