Review of Café Society (2016) by 2Morovian — 04 Nov 2016

If Bobbie's character was supposed to be a direct impersonation of Woody Allen, then his casting and performance were spot on, right down to an utter absence of sexual charisma and the whiny neuroses we've all come to hate after being hammered with it, over and over again, in most of Allen's films. If this wasn't enough to destroy any chance of this film being even mildly entertaining, then Allen's narration buried it in concrete as permanently as Ben's victims.

This was a total indulgence piece with yet another reworking of the now patent New York vs. L.A. dilemma. Since Allen is clearly trying to hold on to something he has only actually possessed sporadically in his entire career, and has now taken to churning out one mediocre film after another, he's a great candidate for forced retirement. Give us a break, Woody, and at least allow us to remember your works of genius with appreciation instead of regret.