An Interesting Exercise

Rating: Null/10 (30 August 2004)

I've never been a Woody Allen addict, but this man does seem to love the same music as me, I had noticed this with "Radio Days", "Everybody Says I love You", "Interiors" et alia. When I saw the dvd of this film about the life of this Django-Rheinhart-like guitarist, I felt it was worth a watch. I did not realise that the character had been entirely made up by Mr Allen and was most impressed on discovering this. I really dug that music that swung throughout the film and my limbs were in almost continuous movement. I did not know the actor, Sean Penn and didn't care much for him though his performance was quite credible for the rôle he was playing ! To enjoy this film you do have to appreciate swing jazz guitar (which is the case for me) but story wise, there's nothing to write home about. But my full credit to Woody Allen for actually getting the spectator to believe it was a real biography about someone. No doubt swing music experts would have had their doubts but the rest of us will be taken in by this. Quite an original film then.