Review of Bullets Over Broadway (1994) by Robert H — 12 Nov 2010

Most of Allen's movies are clearly autobiographic to an extent, but what is interesting about B.O.B is that Allen is reflected not in the main character, the play writer David (John Cusack), but as the illiterate but artistic gangster Cheech (Chazz Palminteri). Once you've seen a couple of Woody Allen's movies you'll notice that Cheech's artistic merit (as opposed to David's shortcomings) as a writer, are precisely those of Allen's himself. For example, Woody is famous for his realistic speeches, and Cheech's strong belief in this is present over an over in the film:

- Poetic license is bullshit! - Cheech says, -plus nobody talks like that. People will believe what they relate to.

Allen is also famous for showing dead people talking to the living, a lot like in a dream to show moral conflict (Match point), or explain motivations (Crimes and Misdemeanors). That is actually what Cheech suggests to David to make the play more interesting.

What is most amazing about this great apologetic movie is that Allen demonstrates that he is actually an artist, precisely by making his main character admitting not to be so. B.O.B makes a strong point: we should love Allen as an Artist only (in the movie industry only, as a musician he sucks), regardless of his highly questionable moral integrity. Just as Cheech, he probably creates his own moral universe.

Few movies come back in a full circle better than B.O.B. and are as genuinely funny. In this respect, one must thank Allen the few one liners he added as opposed to other less interesting and less fortunate movies in his record (Mystery Murder in Manhattan, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Melinda Melinda, Take the money and run, Hollywood Ending).