Review of Stardust Memories (1980) by Itamar K — 27 Jul 2010

The real brilliance behind Stardust Memories is - any reviewer naming its flaws would automatically find himself parroting the very reviewers Allen is mocking in the film itself. Too artistic? Too depressing? Not funny enough? Well, maybe. Although, as he points out himself in the movie, why should he be forced to make only funny movies? More to the point, Stardust Memories is somewhat fragmented and uneven, especially compared to recent masterpieces Annie Hall and Manhattan. You might also say that, Like Interiors, Stardust Memories suffers from too many stylistic references to other filmmakers - this time Fellini more than Bergman. But this time it works, as it's clearly part of the point, and it's pointed out in the film itself ("not exactly an homage, we just stole the idea outright").

Despite a clear lack of balance and clarity, Stardust Memories is a Woody Allen classic, one that deserves much more attention than it usually gets, if only for being his first film that deals with filmmaking, leading to more recent semi-autobiographical works like Deconstructing Harry and Hollywood Ending. More importantly, it shows him more self-aware than ever before, coming to terms with a lot about himself, not unlike Fellini did in 8 1/2, which was Allen's obvious major influence in making it. And for fans of this magnificent creator, it's essential.