Review of Stardust Memories (1980) by Ryan H — 16 Oct 2010
A highly underrated gem from Woody Allen. I don't think that Stardust Memories would have worked for any other director. Allen somehow takes one of my favorite films (8 1/2) and makes it his own. He is being bombarded by fans, but instead of having them say anything about his character we are feeling the stress.
They seem so doofy, and maybe that is harsh to some people, but when you're huge like Woody Allen you would probably start to feel the same way. Allen is also playing the guy who is obsessed with death, he is shuffling two women at once while trying to get over his ex, and he is constantly getting lost in his own mind.
Like 8 1/2 it's surreal, and at times we don't know exactly what's real and what's fake. The funniest scene in the movie were the aliens coming down and he asks them what is the meaning of life, they refuse to answer, then he asks them if there is a God, and they say he is not asking the right questions.
The alien then goes on to say he has an IQ of 1600 and knows more than anyone on Earth. The funniest part about them is that they are voiced by Woody Allen but with a pitch changer to make his voice higher.
Throughout the movie I felt bad for Allen. He is a filmmaker who wants to make a different kind of film, perhaps something more dramatic and artistic, but the studio says it's not what the people want and the critics are calling him pretentious and narcissistic.
What could possibly be bad about his life? Everything seems great from the outside, Allen suggests, but Fellini definitely had the stress right.
This review of Stardust Memories (1980) was written by Ryan H on 16 Oct 2010.
Stardust Memories has generally received positive reviews.
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