Review of Café Society (2016) by Joey T — 30 Jul 2016

Café Society has just about anything you would want in a Woody Allen film: superficiality in the characters, existential themes, dark comedy about the tragedies of life, etc. Thematically and narratively, it feels like safe territory for Allen, and also a little underdeveloped.

Yet, despite its narrative shortcomings, its many pleasures are hard to resist. The art direction is intoxicating, with the vibrant color scheme and detailed production design being perfectly complimented by Allen's masterful control of the cinematography.

But his talents as a director extend far beyond the visual style. The performances (except for Kristen Stewart, who is the weakest link) help make the characters feel more real, helping to sell both the narrative and setting more than its plot.

Most importantly, like all of Allen's work, Café Society is bitingly funny, with a great combination of character interactions and visual gags that make this one of the funniest movies of the year.

Perhaps it isn't the best written or executed movie of the year, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't smiling almost the entire time. How many movies this year can we truly say that about?